Firefighters arrive at the scene of a house fire off McKinney Road Wednesday morning. The occupants managed to escape unharmed. Photo by Lyonel Doherty
There is no shortage of hugs going around for an Oliver family who escaped a structure fire on the Indian reserve Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were called to 6076 Sandpoint Drive off McKinney Road where a section of a residential roof was ablaze. But it didn’t take firemen long to contain it and save the rest of the home.
Homeowner Zaza Hall said she was in town when she received a call that her house was on fire. “I saw the firefighters on the way,” she noted.
Hall said her 79-year-old mother Alice Hall just got out of the shower and heard something, at which point she saw the fire in the ceiling/roof area. Zaza’s 20-year-old son was still sleeping, but Alice woke him up and both escaped. They managed to grab their eight French Bulldog puppies on the way out.
BC Ambulance paramedics treated Alice for minor injuries.
“My mom is such a tough bird. She moves quite quickly for a lady her age,” Zaza said.
Zaza couldn’t hazard a guess as to what started the fire, but said it could have been electrical in nature. She noted there may be quite a bit of smoke damage. She wasn’t sure what the family will do for shelter at the moment.
Fire department spokesman Rob Graham said the fire originated at the back of the house where the porch is. It then quickly spread to the roof. He noted most of the damage was contained to one section of the roof. There is also some water damage to the lower floor due to water suppression efforts.
Graham said the fire is being classified as “accidental.”
The fire department expresses a big thank-you to all of the employers who hire firefighters and allow them to leave work when there is a call. Graham said they realize it can be a burden on employers when their staff leave work to fight a fire. That’s why the department appreciates the consideration.
