'It was a total wreck': Nanaimo family escapes house fire
A large foster family escaped an evening house fire in central Nanaimo, which ruined their home and damaged another next door.
It happened Tuesday evening around 8:30 p.m. on Doric Avenue near Acacia Avenue.
A neighbour who lives next door to where the fire took place says he heard screaming from his neighbour's backyard – then his wife also started to yell, alerting him to get out of their house.
"When we came up to the sidewalk there, there were flames shooting right out of the side of the house," said Dave Rider. "It was pretty, pretty scary."
Nanaimo Fire Rescue Assistant Chief David Dales says the fire started in the carport area, outside the family’s home. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
The fire happened around 8:30 p.m. on May 17, 2022, on Doric Avenue near Acacia Avenue. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue)
Dales says the fire also damaged a home next door, but it’s still habitable.
He says eight people lived in the home where the fire started – with the children ranging in age from three to 18.
Dales says paramedics took all of them to hospital due to concerns over smoke inhalation and for observation.
'IT WENT FAST'
"All of us were running down here trying to help them out," said another neighbour, Carrie Webber. "The parents were pretty shaken up as well."
Two dogs and two cats are also safe, according to firefighters.
"It went fast," said neighbour Richard Bouchard. "Something I don’t want to see ever again."
Another witness says he was driving home from crab fishing when he noticed plumes of smoke in the sky.
Upon arrival at the scene, Mark Hernandez says he was surprised at how calm everyone was, watching the firefighters knock down the flames – and he was impressed by the response.
"The whole house was on fire. It was a total wreck," says Hernandez. "The way they manage it is quite impressive. It makes you feel secure."
A GoFundMe campaign has also been launched to support the family as they get back on their feet.
According to the organizer, the family escaped the fire with just the clothes on their back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.