Saanich Fire responded to a structure fire on Doncaster Drive Friday morning.
On scene, Saanich Fire says the fire started in a flower pot outside of the building.
“It appears as though the fire started on the deck, went up the siding and got into the soffits and the attic space of the house,” Michael Kaye, assistant deputy chief, said.
Kaye added because the fire started on the outside of the building, it appears the smoke alarms were not being triggered.
There are six renters who live in the building, but only one person was home at the time of the fire.
The person who was home was woken up by neighbours breaking into the house to see if there was anyone inside who needed to get out. No one was injured in the fire.
“It’s reassuring to know that we have neighbours that will go that far to run into the house and make sure there was no one else in there and keep us safe,” Daniel Froese, one of the renters, said. “It’s really comforting to know we live in a safe neighbourhood like that.”
Kaye also said it was good action by the neighbours.
The people who live in the house will be displaced for several months while the damage is repaired.
The fire department says there is quite a bit of fire damage to the outside of the house, and a little bit inside, though the inside has water damage as well.
There was a hole cut in the ceiling in order to fight the fire.
Due to the fire, traffic was rerouted to allow firefighters to work, including several BC Transit buses that were re-routed.
#YYJ #RiderAlert – Due to a structure fire the buses are on detour:
24 Tillicum: From Cedar Hill, left Cedar Hill X, right Shelbourne, right North Dairy, left Cedar Hill.
24 Cedar Hill: From Cedar Hill, right North Dairy, left Shelbourne, left Garnet.Thanks for your patience!
— BC Transit – Victoria (@victoriatransit) August 5, 2022
The detours have since ended and buses are back to their regular route.
CHEK News
Mackenzie Read
