Firetrucks and ambulances filled Nanaimo’s Estevan Road on Wednesday afternoon after smoke and flames were seen pouring from the back of a home.
Neighbour Robyn McKay said she was immediately worried for the elderly couple who lived inside the home.
“It was scary. I could feel the heat from inside my house,” said McKay.
Before any emergency workers arrived, three men working on a City of Nanaimo infrastructure project down the road spotted the smoke and went running in.
“They got the people out before we got there,” said Cpt. Terrence Horst of Nanaimo Fire Rescue. “Three city workers actually went in and helped get them out before we arrived and the two elderly people were out in the driveway.”
Remarkably neither of the rescued seniors were injured, despite significant smoke in the home and flames.
“There were flames and smoke showing,” said Horst. “Flames were above the roofline.”
Two of the men work for the City of Nanaimo and another is a contractor and were all given oxygen for smoke inhalation. Before being sent home, they humbly told the media that it’s what anyone would do.
“They’re amazing. We were so scared and they just ran in I guess and got them out,” said McKay.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue believes the fire may have started in a wooden sauna at the back of the home.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Skye Ryan
