A fire destroyed a shop in Coombs on May 5, 2019. (Brittaney Farrington/GoFundMe)
One person was sent to hospital in Nanaimo on Sunday with burns after a shop fire in Coombs.
Coombs-Hilliers Fire Rescue Chief Aaron Poirier said the report of a fully-involved shop fire in the 700-block of Bentridge Road spreading to multiple exposures and brush came in at around 11:30 p.m. on May 5.
Coombs-Hilliers Fire Rescue responded with resources from Errington, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Dashwood, Nanoose and Bow Horn Bay.
Poirier said one person was taken to Nanaimo with burns to the face and hands.
Firefighters contained the fire to the shop and exposures on the property, with the exception of some brush in the adjacent properties. In total, two buildings were heavily damaged.
The last crews left the scene Monday morning at 8:30 a.m.
“Due to the type of construction and contents of the building the overhaul process was slow and very labour intensive,” Poirier said in a release.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. A GoFundMe with a $5,000 goal has been set up by Brittaney Farrington
to help the victim in the fire.
According to Farrington, the fire started in the backyard and the victim’s name was Bruce Mcluckie. Farrington wrote the shop, a side shed and two trucks were engulfed by the fire.
“This was Bruce’s life: all of his woodworking machinery and tools, precious wood that he has been collecting for decades, all of their motorcycles, and many sentimental things that they will never be able to get back. Bruce’s seventeen-year-old son, Evin is currently studying to become a mechanic at VIU. Most of his tools for school were also taken in this fire,” Farrington, who is Evin Mcluckie’s girlfriend, wrote.
“This family is absolutely devastated and is looking for donations to help with the cleanup and restorations from this tragic event.”
On Wednesday, Farrington said Bruce was doing well with his recovery.
A fire destroyed a shop in Coombs on May 5, 2019. (Brittaney Farrington/GoFundMe)
A fire destroyed a shop in Coombs on May 5, 2019. (Brittaney Farrington/GoFundMe)
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