A neighbour spotting smoke and calling it in meant the Esquimalt Fire Department was able to respond in a timely manner and prevent further damage, the fire chief says.
Around 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday, the fire department received a call from a neighbour who had seen smoke coming out of a home on Grenville Road.
Fire Chief Matt Furlot says firefighters from the Esquimalt, Victoria and Department of National Defence fire departments were able to respond and knock it down fairly quickly.
The house suffered extensive damage, but Furlot says it should be able to be renovated, rather than needing to be torn down. No one was home at the time, so there were no injuries.
Furlot says this highlights the importance of calling in when if you see smoke.
“Big thank you to that neighbour, they did the right thing,” Furlot said. “Ten minutes can make all the difference, 10 minutes can mean the difference between the house being a tear down and a renovation.”
He says it’s important for neighbours to be vigilant and call 911 if there is visible smoke.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Around 2 p.m., VicPD told CHEK News it was “informed that the cause of the fire was not suspicious, nor is there any criminal behaviour suspected.”
“We are unaware of the cause at this time, so we don’t have further information to provide,” added VicPD.
CHEK News
