A man who died in a house fire Tuesday night north of Duncan has been identified by family as 39-year-old Nate Haslam, a plumber who ran his business out of his home.
Haslam was a kind-hearted, genuine and hard-working individual who was very community and family-oriented, according to a fundraising page set up for his mother, Rebecca Haslam, who lived in a separate dwelling on the property at the intersection of Hall and Sprott roads. The page was organized by Lanie Elzinga, who said Rebecca Haslam is her husband’s great aunt.
It said Rebecca Haslam saw her son’s house was engulfed in flames and called 911. An operator directed her to leave the property. Her home was untouched, but the devastation of losing her only child caused her to have a heart attack, the GoFundMe page said, and she is now being monitored at Cowichan District Hospital.
The account said Nate Haslam worked as a plumber for JLS Plumbing and Mechanical in Duncan for more than 10 years.
It said his mother is currently on long-term disability after fighting lung cancer, and has worked as a health care aide for several years at various facilities in the Cowichan Valley. “Nathan was her whole world. In her own words, he was a ‘gift from God.’ ”
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, who were called to the fire about 10:30 p.m., said human remains were discovered in the home.
The North Cowichan Fire Department had arrived to find the structure fully involved in flames. The fundraising page said the home, which was destroyed, was not covered by house insurance.
The fire does not appear to be suspicious, police said.
The B.C. Coroners Service is now in charge of the investigation.
