Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
A fire destroyed a home on Merlot Avenue in Oliver on Wednesday, but no injuries were reported.
“There was a family member at home at the time of the fire . . . they were alerted to the fire and then called 911,” said Oliver Fire Department spokesman Rob Graham.
He said the call came in just before 6 p.m. on Feb. 23. First arriving units found the garage and top floor room fully engulfed in flames.
Crews, who were on scene for two hours, made quick attacks to the garage/top floor to knock the fire back and avoid further spread. However, extensive damage occurred to the west side of the home, while smoke and water damage was also prevalent. It appeared that vehicles were also damaged during the blaze.
“The fire is going to be under investigation. As to a cause we don’t have an idea at this point as to what the origin was, but that will be looked into,” Graham said.
The officer praised the hard work of the members on scene during the initial attack, knocking down the spread of the fire. He noted there was a bit of a challenge in the basement due to a vehicle that was parked in the garage. “We were able to utilize a utility vehicle that we have to move some vehicles to better put water on those hotspots there.”
Graham said the home was left in the care of a renovation and security company. Unfortunately, two hours later, the fire rekindled and the roof suffered some major damage, he stated. After the flare-up was suppressed, a fire crew remained overnight to keep an eye on the home.
Graham said the family has been contacted by other family members for assistance.
Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth said police assisted the fire department, noting there was no criminal offence associated with the incident. He confirmed that no injuries were sustained.
(Photo by Oliver Fire Department)
