14-year-old celebrates birthday with Victoria firefighters after cake catches on fire
On a scale of one to 10, 10 being best, Liam was feeling a solid 7.5 while waiting for his birthday party to begin.
"I felt pretty nostalgic that I was going to have a cake made," Liam recalls.
The last time his mom, Catherine, made him a cake he was 10 years old. Now he was turning 14.
"You mix everything up," says Catherine, explaining the simple chocolate cake recipe. "You throw it in the cake pan."
"Easy-peasy," I say.
"Lemon-squeezy," Catherine laughs.
"Except it wasn’t," I add.
"No,”"she confirms with a smile.
About 15 minutes after Catherine put the cake in the oven for her son's birthday, Liam started smelling smoke.
"I thought that’s probably just cake cooking," Liam says.
Until Catherine ran back into the kitchen.
"I opened the oven door," Catherine says. "And all the smoke came out."
Then the smoke detector started talking.
"Fire. Fire," Liam imitates the robotic-voiced warning. "There is a fire."
"And that’s when I was like, 'Get out!'" Catherine says.
While Catherine called 911, Liam grabbed his blind guinea pig, placed him in a box, and before their feelings could rise above 7.5 out of 10 on the scary scale, ran to the safety of the muster station they’d organized years before.
Three minutes later the firetrucks arrived, although they could hear the sirens much earlier.
"I was really surprised they got here that fast," Catherine says.
Catherine captured the action on camera, occasionally narrating.
"This is because I’m baking a cake for my son’s 14th birthday," she says, as the firefighters carry long hoses from the truck to her home. "I don’t bake."
But Catherine does feel beyond grateful that the firefighters saved her home and posed for a picture with the birthday boy.
"Wow!" Liam says about his unforgettable day. "That was a wild ride!"
But it wasn’t over.
"When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade," Catherine smiles, after I ask about the state of what was supposed to be a two-tiered chocolate cake.
"When life gives you burnt cake, you make burnt-cake cupcakes!"
Catherine literally made cupcakes by salvaging the bits of cake that weren’t burnt and stuffing them into the bottom of cups. After topping them with icing, a sprinkled marshmallow, and a pair of candles, Liam declared them a definite "11 out of 10!”
"She’s more creative than I thought," he smiles.
She also proved to be just as amazing as he knew.
Which is why — after still staging the birthday party that night, buying a fire extinguisher the next day, and being the best mom always — Liam took a moment to consider her grade on a scale of one to 10.
"One…" he starts saying. "Zero. Zero. Zero. With three extra zeros. A million.”
"You love her a million?" I confirm.
"Yeah," he answers. "A million out of 10!"
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.