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Volume 62 No. 17
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Sentinel
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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
1.30 INCLUDES TAX
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Fire devastated property in the Nechako area in the late hours of April 17. Fortunately no one was hurt and the family, and their pet, occupying the home made it out safely. Louisa Genzale photo.
House fire destroys home in Nechako area The Great Chili Cookoff
/page 6 Apprentice scholarship awarded
/page 8 PM477761
By Kevin Campbell Black Press No injuries were reported to occupants or pets of a recent Kitimat house fire last week. On April 17, Kitimat Fire Department responded to a call on the 20-block of Pintail Street at 10:50 p.m., and upon arrival, crews witnessed a large fire that had engulfed the structure, a vehicle inside the garage and an additional vehicle outside on the driveway. “We turned the corner and it was a 15-foot wall of fire, so wake-up time,” said deputy fire chief Peter Bizarro. “All residents inside the home at the time of the fire were able to safely exit the home, which is great. So
that’s obviously the priority,” he added. The residents were also able to evacuate a pet cat before the majority of the smoke started to seep into the structure. “Fire crews quickly established exposed water lines to protect the adjacent homes. It appears the fire started in the garage and quickly extended into the main structure,” the deputy chief said. As a result of investigations undertaken by the Kitimat Fire Department and Fire Pro Investigations in Vancouver, the fire cause had been deemed ‘undetermined’ as of last week “due to the extensive fire damage sustained within the area of origin,” said Bizarro.
Adjacent homes suffered minor damage such as paint blistering and dislodged siding. “That was very successful for us because that fire could have easily spread, from the radiant heat, to adjacent homes,” he said, adding that crews from BC Hydro, Pacific Northern Gas and the RCMP were also on scene. With the number of fuel loads in and around the garage, the fire didn’t allow for occupants to try and recover significant items, a practice that Bizarro said should not be utilized by residents. “You start getting fuels ignited and stuff and there’s your exit routes gone ... Kitimat Fire Department would like to remind all community
members not to reenter your home in the event of a fire. Fire spread can be very fast based on fuel load, so again the message is get out and stay out,” the deputy-chief added. Fire crews worked from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning, at which point crews finished their cleanup and a 24-hour fire watch was implemented on the site. Some remaining smouldering was attended to near the end of the work period. “Homes can be replaced and some personal items, I understand how valuable they can be but the key is there’s no human life lost or injured. To me that’s the highest level of priority – is everyone out of the house, including the pets,” Bizarro said.