Residents, dog escape house fire in Langford, B.C.

 

Two people and a dog are safe, after escaping a house fire in Langford, B.C. The neighbourhood near Mill Hill reported being jarred awake by the sound of explosions and sirens.

Langford firefighters, along with mutual aid partners from View Royal and Colwood, were called to the home on Selwyn Road at 3:38 a.m. due to fire with the possibility of people trapped inside.

“Thankfully, we were updated en route that everybody was out of the building so that made it a little bit easier to deal with strictly the fire fight,” said deputy fire chief Scott Davidson.

A carport on the property was turned to rubble and an RV was significantly damaged.

While the home appears intact, firefighters say the fire spread through the gable end of the roof into the attic, compromising the safety of the structure.

“It is under investigation, but it looks like the fire started on the exterior of the house,” said Davidson.

The homeowner, along with other members of the community, stood by outside the home as fire investigators analyzed the scene. An RCMP officer could also be seen taking photos.

Police and fire officials say they don’t have any reason to believe the fire was criminal in nature.

Some people in the neighbourhood tell CTV News they heard loud pops coming from the property and thought it could’ve been gunshots.

“Certainly lots of action this morning,” said Navarra Houldin, who lives across the street. “I thought I heard a couple bangs of some sort along with just so many sirens going on.”

“I imagine that that was a rude awakening for those folks over there,” she said.

The deputy fire chief says the rupturing of vehicle tires can sound like gunshots. He says there were jerry cans of fuel and propane tanks in the carport too.

Davidson believes the homeowners won’t be able to return for months until the house is repaired.