A neighbour who used a garden hose to douse flames coming from a View Royal home Thursday morning likely prevented a major fire, says the town’s fire chief.
The View Royal fire department received multiple 911 calls about 5:30 a.m. after neighbours saw a fire on the front patio of a Chilco Road home.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered that a neighbour had knocked down most of the fire with a garden hose, said Fire Chief Paul Hurst.
“Quick action by the neighbour limited the spread of the fire,” Hurst said. “If the fire had been between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. when no one was around, the fire would have been a lot larger.”
Four residents of the home, including one child, escaped. One adult suffering from smoke inhalation was taken to hospital.
Fire inspectors determined a cigarette butt caused patio furniture to catch fire.
The blaze caused about $10,000 in damage.
