'The whole building was on fire': 2 taken to hospital after Duncan townhouse catches fire
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are investigating an overnight structure fire that sent two people to hospital on Wednesday night.
The fire was reported just before 11 p.m. at a townhouse complex on Dingwall St. in Duncan, B.C. according to the RCMP.
Dave Longchamp, who lives in the building with his wife, says he was alerted to the fire by a loud knock around 10:30 p.m.
"When I opened the door, black smoke was coming up," he said.
Longchamp says he and his wife only had minutes to react and flee the building.
"The whole building was on fire and I could hear the crackle of the flames," he said.
Another resident of the building, Caimen Shapiro, says he was watching TV when a neighbour knocked on his door and told him that her unit was on fire.
"I thought it was just like a little kitchen fire, so I was going to run outside and help put it out," he said.
"But then I got out and it was just the whole building."
Shapiro says he only had time to grab his wallet and passport and escaped with just the clothes he was wearing.
TWO TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
By the time Mounties arrived, firefighters were already on scene and paramedics were treating several residents.
Two of the residents needed further care and were taken to hospital for injuries related to the fire, according to North Cowichan firefighters.
"Investigators will continue to work on this incident to determine what caused this fire," said Staff Sgt. Chris Swain, acting Detachment Commander for the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP.
"The preliminary report appears to show it was unintentionally caused, but the final fire report will take some time for a proper determination," he said.
Police say they'll be investigating alongside a North Cowichan Fire Inspector.
A temporary shelter has been setup at the Cowichan Community Centre for residents who were displaced by the fire, according to RCMP.
The North Cowichan Fire Department says extensive damage was done to at least six units in the building.
Longchamp doesn't know the extent of the damage to his home, and he is still waiting to hear when he'll be allowed to return to gather belongings. He says he and his wife are staying with friends and are looking for a new place to live.
Shapiro says he's in a similar position and is staying with relatives in the meantime.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
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.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.