A 92-year-old man is dead after his double-wide mobile home was destroyed by fire early Monday near Comox.
Shortly before 4 a.m., nearby resident George Le Masurier woke up to popping noises. At first, he thought it was the sound of a shotgun being fired, then he wondered if it was fireworks. “There was a lot of pops all in a row … Like a string of firecrackers going off.”
When he looked out a window, “This house was just totally engulfed.”
Le Masurier called 911.
By the time emergency crews arrived at Lazo Road near Butchers Road, the structure was fully aflame, said Comox RCMP Const. Marcel Slofstra.
“Once the fire had been put out, we did locate who we believe to be the homeowner of the residence.”
It appears that the man was living alone, he said. No name has been released.
The fire does not appear to be suspicious and the cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, Slofstra said.
The structure appears to have been a double-wide mobile home that was at least 30 years old and on a foundation, he said.
The Comox Fire Department was at the scene, with assistance from the Courtenay Fire Department. There are no hydrants in the area, so tanker trucks were brought in, Slofstra said.
Police and fire officials along with the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating.
