Ten people have been displaced after a massive fire in Nanaimo gutted a home and damaged two others.
Sean Kennedy was alerted to the blaze next door when he heard his downstairs tenant banging on his neighbour's door at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
“We didn’t know what was going on, we thought it might’ve been a party,” Kennedy said. “At this point myself and my wife looked out of our bedroom window and basically the whole yard was illuminated orange.”
Downstairs, Brad Mazzocato had noticed the flames and leapt into action.
“I was just sitting at the kitchen table with a friend of mine, we were having a couple beers after the game and we heard a crackling noise,” said tenant Brad Mazzocato. “We went out back and checked. The neighbour’s house was on fire I busted open the back door there and they got out.”
By the time fire crews arrived to tackle the flames, the majority of the two-storey Southwood Drive home was engulfed in flames.
Making things more dangerous was a gusty wind blowing south.
Ten people in total managed to escape the fire with no injuries.
Two homes including Kennedy's were damaged and one was completely destroyed. Investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the blaze.
“It’s like a war-zone inside. It’s not a recognizable house anymore, it’s just full of slush and bits,” said Kennedy.
While the tenant who alerted neighbours is being praised for his actions, officials are reminding people to avoid putting themselves in danger.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Yvonne Raymond
