'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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.