An Errington couple’s single-storey home was destroyed after massive fire broke out early Friday morning (July 24).
The Errington Fire Department was first to arrive at the Leffler Road scene at approximately 4:30 a.m., and was later assisted by the Parksville Fire Department and the Coombs Hilliers Fire Department.
Errington Fire Chief Troy Bater said that by the time they arrived, the house was already engulfed in flames.
“The whole house was pretty much a write-off before we got there,” said Bater. “Nobody was hurt. Everybody got out, the owners and their pet.”
Bater said the owners told him that they woke up after an explosion that came from an outside shed, which was on fire. The blaze then spread to a carport and got through the roof and eventually took over the house, Bater said.
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It took two hours to knock down the blaze but Bater said they spent more time taking out hot spots to make sure that all the flames were extinguished. They wrapped up the whole thing at approximately noon.
“It took a while,” said Bater. “Dealing with the hot spots was challenging. It was a well-built house. They’ve got wood on top of wood, laminate and all that stuff that holds the house together. We had to get in there. We had to be extra careful with what we were doing.”
Trina Sisco, who leaves three houses away, described the scene.
“When I heard all the sirens, I said ‘this is just too close to home,’” said Sisco. “When I left my house, it looked like it was the property behind us, our neighbour. That’s how big the flames were. It was clearly down the road, two to three houses away from us. The flames were huge. I was thinking about my property. It was pretty intense.”
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Bater said the owners have insurance on their home.