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Wednesday, September 9, 2015
» House fire
RCMP investigate destruction Police and an insurance company try to piece together what caused a senior couple’s home to go up in flames ERIC PLUMMER ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
The cause of a fire that struck a Sixth Avenue home early Monday morning remains a mystery, prompting investigations by the RCMP and an insurance company. What remains of the house at Sixth and Montrose was blocked off with police tape Tuesday, as authorities tried to piece together what sparked a blaze that started in one of the three outdoor buildings on the property. The fire collapsed the upper floor of the house, along with a garage and two sheds next to the home. The incident was reported to the Port Alberni Fire Department at 2:44 a.m. Monday. “It was able to grow unnoticed by anybody, given the time of night, until somebody walking by saw this fire roaring away in this out building,” said fire chief Tim Pley, adding that lumber in the sheds enabled the flames to quickly grow and reach the roof of the main house. “The fire drove up against the side of the house, burned through the soffit of the house and into the attic space.” The senior couple and their dog who were living in the house
Fire crews douse a large blaze to a house at Montrose Street and Sixth Avenue in the early morning hours Monday. [RON CLARK, FOR THE TIMES]
awoke to a fiery scene, but avoided serious injury. “They woke up to the brightness from the fire outside and smoke in the room,” Pley said. “By the time they got out of the house,
the fire had already transferred to the other side of the house.” The Port Alberni department sent 15 personnel, two fire engines and a ladder truck to the early morning blaze, where they were
assisted by crews from the Beaver Creek and Sproat Lake volunteer fire departments. The firefighters took an aggressive approach with personnel tearing away at the structure from the inside, but the
blaze continued to grow. “We attacked the source and at the same time put water on the house to try and prevent the spread of the fire and weren’t able to,” Pley said. “We were initiating that attack and our crews were just driven outside by the heat and smoke – at one point fire rolling down the stairwell from upstairs.” The situation took hours to die down, causing crews to be on the scene for nearly six hours. Now the couple awaits the result of an insurance investigation to determine if the structure can be repaired. Meanwhile police have not ruled out a criminal cause for the destruction. “Because there’s no accidental cause there, we’ve been working with the RCMP on the investigation,” Pley said. “It’s still an open file at their end.” The chief is thankful for an aid agreement among the three departments which alerts them to larger structure fires. “It was a long fire and a lot of work on a holiday long weekend,” Pley said. “All three departments were short-staffed so it made the difference for us to have their resources.” Eric.Plummer@avtimes.net
TOURISM
Visitor numbers jumped in summer: Chamber “We’re getting a real sense here that people are more interested in the community now and asking more specific questions about Port Alberni.”
MARTIN WISSMATH ALBERNI VALLEY TIMES
Visitor numbers at the Alberni Valley’s visitor center were more than twice as high this summer compared to last year, according to the chamber of commerce. The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce tracks the number of visitors to the Visitor Centre and outside the main centre at stops in the community with the Mobile Visitor Centre. The mobile centre is a decorated van that travels to tourism hotspots in and around the Valley, such as Cathedral Grove, the McLean Mill National Historic Site, or the Harbour Quay, distributing information to promote the area. Volunteer ambassadors in yellow jackets staff the mobile centre and areas popular for visitors. A steep 250 per cent increase » Use your smartphone to jump to our Facebook page for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.
Bill Collette, Executive director Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce
COLLETTE
in visitors started in June, resulting in 8,980 visitors over the month, compared to 2,378 last year. In July, numbers at the visitor centre were more than double, rising to 7,652 compared to 3,524 last year, with an overall
increase of 157 per cent. Numbers were slightly up at the Visitor Centre for August, but increased efforts from the Mobile Visitor Centre tracked a fourfold increase in tourists in the Valley, up from 1,995 last August to over 10,000 this year. Overall numbers in August rose 137 per cent from last year,
according to the chamber of commerce. Bill Collette, executive director of the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce, noted higher staff numbers this year contributed to the significant increase in visitor counts with the Mobile Visitor Centre. The busy summer follows a trend of increasing visitors this year. For the entire 2014 year, the chamber tracked 22,054 visitors to the Valley. Already through the first eight months of 2015, numbers are up to 39,630 people – an 80 per cent increase. “We’re getting a real sense here that people are more interested in the community now and asking more specific questions about Port Alberni versus in the past,” Collette said, noting it’s his third summer in the Valley. More tourists are arriving from south of the border and over-
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» Alberni Region, 3
» Taste, 10
seas, with the lower Canadian dollar contributing to increased international visits, he said. Stamp Falls and the fish ladder have been especially popular this time of year, said Collette. Sproat Lake and the Valley’s trails are also highlights for visitors, he added. Additional staff, volunteers, a greater online presence for local attractions and an Adventure Map for local businesses, together with pleasant summer weather and the lower dollar, have contributed to encourage visitors in the Alberni Valley, Collette noted. One local business told Collette it was their best summer ever; another noted that May, June and July this year were their best three months in the past 11 years. Martin.Wissmath@avtimes.net
Inside today What’s On 2 Alberni Region 3
Opinion 4 Island & B.C. 5
Sports 6 Scoreboard 7
Comics 8 Classifieds 9
Nation & World 9 Taste 10
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