A man is in hospital being treated for burns after a major house fire in Cumberland Saturday morning that displaced three families.
Nick Charette was on his way to go fishing with his son about 5:30 a.m. when they noticed smoke coming from the road below. Charette turned toward Camp Road, where he saw two houses on fire.
“When I came up, the smoke was maybe 100 feet in the air — maybe 75 — but the flames were probably twice the size of the house. It was fully engulfed,” he said. “The house was going up in a hurry.”
The flames started in one house, and spread to a house next door, where two families of four live.
When he saw one of the houses, he realized he knew the family of six who lived there. The father was outside the house, with severe burns to his hands, back and feet. He was being cared for by a neighbour. Charette said the man was in a state of shock, and couldn’t immediately tell neighbours whether his wife and four children were still inside the house. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to determine that the rest of the family wasn’t home.
“It was a pretty emotional situation,” he said, adding that his children have grown up with the kids whose father was injured in the fire.
When the fire marshall arrived, he and Charette checked the second house for anyone still inside. Everyone managed to get out.
The fire was so large that cars were starting to get hot and tail lights were melting, Charette said. “The power pole was sparking and exploding.”
When fire crews arrived, Charette and the owner of the second house helped pull fire lines to a hydrant, so firefighters could extinguish the flames.
The damage to the first house is so significant that it will likely need to be demolished, Charette said.
“All the windows are burnt out. Half the house has no siding and you can see right through it,” he said.
The second house suffered extensive damage to one wall and the attic.
B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed one patient in critical condition was transported to hospital by air ambulance.
Cumberland Fire Rescue couldn’t be reached for comment on Sunday.
