1 dead, 4 injured in early morning house fire on Malahat First Nation
An 18-year-old woman is dead and four people are recovering from injuries after a fire on the Malahat First Nation reserve early Thursday morning.
Steve Henry - a member of the Malahat Nation council and a relative of the family whose home was burned - told CTV News Vancouver Island that the blaze started between 1:30 and 2 a.m.
By the time he arrived, around 2:30 a.m., the house was fully engulfed in flames, Henry said.
There were five people inside the home at the time the fire broke out, according to Henry. The four who survived were taken to hospital, where one - a young man - is still recovering from minor burns. The other three were treated for smoke inhalation and released, Henry said.
Now, the Malahat Nation is rallying support for the survivors. Henry said the family lost everything in the fire, so donations of clothes, furniture and other essentials can be dropped off at the Malahat Nation office.
There is also a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $1,000 for the family so far.
Shawnigan Lake RCMP said in a news release that they are investigating the fatal fire. The BC Coroners Service is also investigating.
While the police investigation is in its early stages, RCMP said initial evidence suggests the fire was not criminal in nature.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.