2 dead in Comox house fire, cause under investigation

Comox, B.C. -

Two people are dead as a result of a house fire Friday afternoon in Comox, B.C.

According to Deputy Chief Rick Shelton of Comox Fire Rescue, one person was found just outside the structure and the second was inside. Unfortunately, both were found deceased.

He says crews were called around 4:30 p.m. to the 1700 block of Ryan Road for reports of a house fire.

“When I arrived, I found a residential one-storey structure fully engulfed in flame on the Charlie side, which is the back side of the house, heavily involved in smoke and fire,” Shelton says.

Shelton says family members were on scene and told firefighters that possibly two people were inside the home.

“They were family members that lived close by," he says. "They had family members living next door on the adjacent property and they heard the explosion and came over and by that time the house was completely involved in fire.”

Thirty-six firefighters and six fire trucks were involved in fighting the blaze, and Shelton says the initial fire was knocked down within the first 15 minutes, but the home’s metal roof created some problems.

“It was difficult to contain. It wouldn’t vent through the roof, so there was a lot of mop up and hot spots to deal with all night," he says.

Shelton says the cause of the fire is being investigated by the RCMP and the Office of the Fire Commissioner.

“Until they come up with a finding we don’t really have an idea of what started it,” he says.