An occupant and their pet were able to safely escape a fire that badly damaged a trailer off Braidwood Avenue in Courtenay Saturday night.
Around 11 p.m., firefighters were called to the structure fire near Ryan Road following reports that flames engulfing a single-wide trailer were spreading to the one next door.
“Upon arrival on scene, we just found the one involved trailer. Heavy smoke showing, and it erupted into flames,” said Jonathan Welsh, deputy fire chief with the Courtenay Fire Department.
That’s when they got to work deploying lines to put out the fire, according to Welsh, who says the trailer’s owner was outside the home when crews arrived.
“We met the owner on scene, no one was inside the structure. They were able to see the fire growth there,” he said later that morning.
“There was a dog outside of the trailer that they’re still looking for. It was a little bit spooked by the call.”
The fire was spreading “pretty quick,” recalled Welsh.
“The materials inside of the trailer were pretty light, so it was tough just to knock it down quickly,” he said. “But crews did a good job containing it and keeping it from spreading to any neighbouring trailers.”
READ ALSO: RCMP investigate suspicious fire seen widely in Duncan
In an interview, the deputy fire chief said crews were in the mop-up stages. But that was after it took them “a while” to extinguish the fire.
The cause is not known at this time.
“It’s going to be investigated. RCMP are on scene here with us, so we’ll be back here with crews in the morning to take a look at it,” added Welsh.
“Emergency social services have been dispatched to the scene, and they’re going to be looking after the occupant to make sure they get safe housing for the night.”
READ ALSO: Residents escape house fire in Rockland area of Victoria
(Photo supplied)
CHEK News
