'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
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
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.
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.
'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.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
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.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.