WATCH: A early morning fire has destroyed a family’s home in Cassidy, south of Nanaimo. The fire started when fire erupted when a woman opened the wood stove. It was a close escape for the woman her daughter and nine dogs. Kendall Hanson reports.
With the house still standing, it’s hard to tell the extent of the damage from the road but firefighters say the Angus Road home is a write-off after fire ripped through it.
The fire broke out at 6:30 this morning and it was a close call for those inside getting out of the house.
“It was pretty close,” said Ron Gueulette, Fire Chief of the Cranberry Volunteer Fire Department. “She was able to wake up her daughter and got out with some puppies and then we rescued an older dog.”
A neighbour says it was incredible how quickly the home went up in flames.
Firefighter’s say it was older wood framed home.
There are no hydrants in the area so water had to be brought in to battle the blaze.
The fire started when the homeowner went to put wood in the wood stove.
“Opened the door [and a] backdraft blew out on her,” said Gueulette. “She tried to extinguish it with a fire extinguisher but couldn’t do it and by the time she called us it was fully involved.”
The fire chief says it could’ve been caused by the chimney being partially plugged. When the door opened the influx of air may have caused the fire to flashback.
But a fire investigator will try to determine exactly what happened.
There were 9 dogs in total that got out. 2 cats that have yet to be accounted for.
The homeowner does have insurance.
The fire chief says it should serve as a reminder for homeowners to check their chimneys annually and burn only dry wood.
Kendall Hanson
