Mill Bay home destroyed, man suffers burns in fire
One man suffered burns and smoke inhalation after a house fire in Mill Bay, B.C., on Saturday.
The Mill Bay Fire Department received the call for the fully involved house fire on Arbutus Terrace at 4:11 p.m.
Mill Bay firefighters, with the mutual aid of the Shawnigan Lake and Cowichan Bay fire departments, worked to stop the fire from spreading to the surrounding wooded area.
"We were very lucky," said Mill Bay fire Chief Ron Beck. "That time of day we normally get a wind that comes up off the ocean and for some reason we just didn’t have that and that prevented it from heading into the forest, creating a wildfire."
With the crews focusing on stopping the spread of the fire, the house was lost to the blaze and most of what remains is rubble.
With the crews focusing on stopping the spread of the fire, the house was lost to the blaze and most of what remains is rubble. (CTV News)
"I tend many fires and it’s hard to image losing your house and all your contents and things," Beck said. "Very devastating."
The fire chief says the homeowners – a husband and wife – were home at the time and made it out safely but the husband suffered burns and smoke inhalation after going back inside to rescue the couple’s two dogs and several cats.
The cats and one of the dogs are safe but the other dog was unaccounted for Monday.
With the crews focusing on stopping the spread of the fire, the house was lost to the blaze and most of what remains is rubble. (CTV News)
Beck says the couple was taken to hospital for care.
Fire crews stayed on scene until 3 a.m. Sunday to ensure the fire was completely out.
The cause of the fire is not known and is under investigation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.