‘He’s my hero:’ Brother-in-law alerts man to cabin fire off the Malahat

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Flames are seen at a cabin fire off the Malahat highway on Oct. 10, 2018. Credit: Darrell Taylor.

Flames are seen at a cabin fire off the Malahat highway on Oct. 10, 2018. Credit: Darrell Taylor.

One man is counting himself lucky after his brother-in-law alerted him to a fire next door to his cabin at the Malahat Ocean View Motel.

The fire at a duplex cabin unit at the Malahat Ocean View Motel was reported at around 11:45 a.m. Three crews from Malahat Fire Rescue, the Shawnigan Lake Fire Department and the Mill Bay Fire Department all responded to the blaze.

WATCH: Firefighters work to put out a fire at the Ocean View Motel on Oct. 10, 2018. Credit: Darrell Taylor. This video has no sound. 

Nathan Dixon was inside his own cabin when his brother-in-law, Richard Semaginis saw a fire next door in the duplex and yelled at him to get everyone out. Semaginis had come by to borrow some keys.

“Smoke was coming up off the eavestrough and I said, that’s not mist, it’s too thick,” Semaginis said.

“So I went around the front and noticed there were flames protruding out of the top of the door and I started screaming at the back deck.”

Dixon said he is glad Semaginis was there.

“He’s my hero,” Dixon said. “For everybody.”

He also said he did not know there was a fire.

“There was no smoke detector going off,” Dixon said.

Semaginis and Dixon then kicked in the door of the cabin that was on fire to see if anyone was inside. No one was there.

“I’m just glad I came when I did,” Semaginis said.

“I just did it. Had to do it.”

Richard Semaginis and Nathan Dixon say they are happy they were not injured after a fire broke out at a cabin next door to Dixon’s off the Malahat highway on Oct. 10, 2018.

Dixon said he was able to get most of his items out of the cabin he was renting.

“We’re very lucky,” Dixon said.

Smoke rises from a cabin fire off the Malahat highway, as seen from Jocelyn Hill in the Highlands. Photo Credit: Russ Cameron.

Smoke rises from a cabin fire off the Malahat highway, as seen from Jocelyn Hill in the Highlands. Photo Credit: Russ Cameron.

The fire was fully extinguished by around 3 p.m. Gerry Lacquement of the Malahat Volunteer Fire Department said no one was injured in the fire.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The cabin where the fire started was completely destroyed and the other side of the duplex was heavily damaged by smoke and water.

Alexa HuffmanAlexa Huffman

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