Cause under investigation; sprinklers would have stopped it, say firefighters
John French
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Fire ripped through a third floor suite at the Westway Village apartments in Valleycliffe Friday (April 8) leaving three units uninhabitable for an indefinite period according to firefighters.
樱桃视频Fire Rescue (SFR) was alerted of the fire and arrived five minutes after the first of many calls were placed to 911.
The firefighters arrived on the scene to find flames shooting out a third floor bedroom window.
Fire Chief Ray Saurette said the fire was into the roof structure when the firefighters arrived.
"The fire spread very rapidly and we had the very real potential for a complete loss of the building," said Saurette.
Four fire trucks attended the scene and 36 firefighters worked to keep the damage to a minimum.
While the firefighters concentrated on dousing the flames, RCMP members helped with the evacuation of the building. B.C. Ambulance service paramedics were on hand but Capt. Bob Fulton said nobody was hurt. He noted there was a cat in the suite where the fire originated. Fulton said the cat jumped out of the building and survived.
Heat was a significant concern, Fulton said.
"The first interior attack crews had to deal with the heat," he said. "There was a concern that the fire got into the attic and could possibly take out the roof. They were able to stop it before it could extend too far."
One of the key pieces of equipment used to fight the fire was SFR's Ladder 51. The truck's massive ladder was lifted close to flames. Water from the hose mounted at the end of the ladder doused the fire.
According to Fulton, the fire has indefinitely displaced a total of seven people, including three children.
"The building was not sprinklered but it had a fire alarm system which was activated and that assisted as well in the safe evacuation of the building," Saurette said.
SFR puts the damage estimate from the fire at $500,000.
There are 12 units in the building, which is known as Building Five. Those who live in the units not affected by the fire were allowed to return to their homes just after 2 a.m. Fulton said SFR cleared the scene at 1:30 a.m.
The units closest to the source of the fire suffered significant water and smoke damage.
Victim Services and the 樱桃视频Emergency Program are assisting those affected by the fire.
One resident of the building who lives on the second floor at the other end of the building said she can still smell smoke in the hallways. After the fire she kept her windows open, washed the walls and deodorized the carpets to help rid her suite of the smell of smoke.
Cindy Thomas, a second floor resident, got a room at the Sea to Sky Hotel and she stayed there until Thursday with costs covered by emergency services. At least seven of the rooms at the hotel were occupied this week by fire victims who couldn't return or refused to return to their homes.
Thomas said the people with emergency services were very helpful.
She is concerned about the air quality in the building and she wants clarification whether or not asbestos was used in the construction of the building.
Fulton said to the best of his knowledge no asbestos was discovered by the firefighters.
The apartment fire is the third significant residential fire in less than a month and Fulton said some important points need to be highlighted from the recent string of fires.
"It seems to be the majority of renters don't have insurance to cover their personal belongings so if they lose it in a fire they are out of luck," Fulton said. Renters' insurance also helps people in situations like the apartment fire where similar rental accommodations are difficult to come by. Money is tight for some of the apartment renters because they paid for a full month of rent but only got a week in their homes.
According to Fulton, sprinklers would have saved the Westway Village building.
"If that building was built today it would have had a sprinkler system and it probably would put this fire out with one sprinkler head," he said.
Fulton also stressed the importance of having smoke alarms and emergency exit plans.
He recommended keeping doors closed at night so fire is compartmentalized.
"It makes a huge difference," Fulton said of how keeping doors closed can help in the event of a fire.
"The biggest cause of residential fires is kitchen or cooking fires and the biggest cause of fatal residential fires are smokers' materials," said Fulton.
Restoration crews are working to fix the damage caused by the fire.
