A house was destroyed, but all residents were able to get to safety after a fire in Nanaimo's north end this morning.
Numerous Nanaimo Fire Rescue vehicles responded to the 5500 block of Turner Road at 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 after the report of a structure fire. The house was gutted and Tony Chan, acting captain for Nanaimo Fire Rescue, told the News Bulletin it looks like it is a total loss.
There were two families residing at the house, one on the top floor, and the other on the bottom, but all were able to get out and there were no injuries, Chan said.
"The fire started on the first floor and extended up to the second floor. So considerable damage to the first and second floor living areas, and at this time, all the windows have been blown out and burned out and and there's extensive smoke and fire damage to the first and second floors," said Chan.
Crews utilized a "transitional attack" to battle the blaze, the acting captain said, initially hitting the fire from the outside and moving their way inside for an interior attack.
The source of the fire may have been a battery, said Chan,
"Initial reports from the occupants downstairs stated that the lithium battery of a laptop started the fire, initially caught some curtains and then rolled from there further," he said.
Witnesses reported hearing explosions and Chan said it was from "sparks from live wires" that had come down and "contacted the ground." The area was cordoned off and B.C. Hydro was on scene to deal with the situation.
It appears both parties were insured and they are receiving assistance from emergency social services.
Witnesses reported seeing two men helping people out of the house.
#trafficalert #Nanaimo. First responders at Turner-Hammond Bay. pic.twitter.com/mwseLrytGb
— Karl Yu (@KarlYuBulletin) September 21, 2024
