'Crawled on my hands and knees': Port Hardy residents tackle apartment fire
A Port Hardy, B.C., man is being credited on social media with helping extinguish a fire inside an apartment complex on Highland Drive early Tuesday morning.
Adam Nelson believes alarms in the Old Horizon apartment complex started sounding around 3 a.m. as he was in his room with his girlfriend. He initially believed somebody was messing with the alarm system.
"Next thing I know I hear somebody banging at our door and trying to open the door and banging like crazy, so we both got up and ran to the door," he told CTV News.
"One of our neighbours downstairs said there was an actual fire," Nelson said.
"She ran towards the fire hose in the hallway so I ran out there with her to go get it and get it set up."
The pair extended the hose to the stairwell where Nelson encountered thick smoke.
"By the time I got inside the stairwell on the third floor the whole upstairs of the fourth floor stairwell was full of black smoke and I’d seen a bit of the flame," he said. "I tried to get the water towards the fire."
The effort proved difficult because the hose was kinked, but the two straightened it out before he went to see if anyone was trapped in the stairwell.
"I crawled on my hands and knees to see if anyone was there," he said. "I felt around, I didn’t feel anything and I went back downstairs."
"Once I got the fire out all the smoke started moving everywhere and I got soaked and ended up running out of there," he said.
Nelson says he doesn’t believe anyone was injured in the blaze but he’ll be heading to a medical clinic today to see if he suffered any effects from the smoke.
He believes one or two people may have been temporarily relocated because of smoke damage.
CTV News has reached out to the Port Hardy Fire Department for details.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israel attacks Iran, Reuters sources say; drones reported over Isfahan
Israel has attacked Iran, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as Iranian state media reported early on Friday that its forces had destroyed drones, days after Iran launched a retaliatory drone strike on Israel.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.