Fire destroys family home in Royston, B.C.
Fire officials are praising the keen eyes of neighbours who reported a house fire Saturday in Royston, B.C.
Crews were called to the Ross Avenue home shortly before 6 p.m. and, according to Fire Chief Don Bardonnex, smoke from the fire was visible all the way from Courtenay when fire crews were en route.
“We were fortunate enough to get a call when it was first seen as smoke,” Bardonnex says. “Getting us on scene as fast as possible is the answer. The fire originated on the deck.”
With the home’s siding being made out of cedar, Bardonnex says it didn’t take long for the fire to spread.
“On arrival, the carport, the deck and probably a third of the roof and the first two rooms on the top floor were involved,” he says. “Crews stretched lines, started knocking the fire down. Once we had a hydrant hooked up, I think 10, 11 minutes we had the fire knocked down.”
Crews took a few more hours to overhaul the scene and ensure the fire was completely out. Investigators were inside the home Monday morning looking for a cause.
Bardonnex says there were substantial winds blowing at the time of the blaze, which created problems for firefighters.
“It was blowing from the street back into the house,” he says.
The occupants of the home were away when the fire broke out and the homeowner was notified by neighbours about the blaze.
An online fundraiser has been set up by a person who says they’re a friend of the homeowner. The person indicates the owner, his daughter and her boyfriend lost their possessions in the fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.