Courtenay trailer fire prompts warning from officials

Officials with the Courtenay Fire Department are reminding the public to double check electrical plugs and heaters associated with travel trailers, after one went up in flames Saturday evening.

“We were dispatched for heavy smoke and flame coming out of a mobile trailer,” says Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Welsh. “It was called in by neighbouring units around (9:30 p.m.). Crews arrived on scene and found heavy involvement around the trailer.”

According to neighbours, there was someone living in the trailer, but they were not there at the time of the fire. They arrived back home to find firefighters on the scene, and are now being assisted by Emergency Social Services.

The travel trailer was covered in tarps and was located between two full-sized mobile homes, which caused some concern for firefighters.

“Roughly 15, 20 feet, we had exposures on either side of the trailer that we had to deal with,” Welsh says. “(It) doesn’t look like any damages have affected those exposures.”

With many people taking shelter inside campers and trailers, Welsh says a thorough check should be done of any electrical connections or space heaters being used.

“Obviously making sure all electrical outlets, nothing’s overloaded and (there are) good working smoke detectors,” Welsh says.

Crews have not yet determined a cause of the fire.