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Man found dead after B.C. firefighters spot burning house while on another call

Fire near Port Alberni sparked by cooking left unattended when man succumbed to medical condition
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The Beaver Creek Fire Hall, located on Beaver Creek Road. (NEWS FILE PHOTO)

One person is dead after the second house fire in Beaver Creek in a day.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 13, the Beaver Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded to a vehicle collision on Beaver Creek Road. While returning to the fire station, one firefighter observed a fire at a residence in the area.

Port Alberni RCMP members and the fire department investigated and found a male deceased inside the home.

READ MORE: Alberni Valley fire crews battle house fire in Beaver Creek

The RCMP’s General Investigation and Forensic Identification Section determined the man had died due to a medical condition.

The fire had resulted from cooking that had been left unattended due to the medical incident. The death is not considered suspicious and the next of kin have been notified.

Port Alberni RCMP are not disclosing the location of the fire out of respect to the family.

“The fire department volunteers did an outstanding job and were very observant to notice this situation,” said Sgt. Peter Dionne of the Port Alberni RCMP. “Their prompt attention prevented a simple incident from becoming complex and spared the family a lot of additional heartache and questions.”

The Provincial Coroner’s office was notified and did not attend.

This fire comes on the heels of a house burned down on Thompson Road in Beaver Creek on July 12. No one was injured in that fire.