Four people escaped an early Boxing Day fire in Port Alberni with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

The Port Alberni Fire Dept. responded to a call at 12:35 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2022 for a fire in a two-storey house. B次元官网网址淥n arrival there was heavy fire involvement throughout the home,B次元官网网址� deputy fire chief Wes Patterson said.

Some of the occupants were sent to West Coast General Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation, he added.

Because the home was close to other residences, Cherry Creek Volunteer Fire Dept. was called in for mutual aid to help ensure the fire didnB次元官网网址檛 spread. Firefighters were on scene for about six hours.

Fire investigators were at the house Tuesday afternoon. B次元官网网址淓arly reports are that it (started) in the vicinity of the attached garage,B次元官网网址� Patterson said.

Brett Mckenzie, whose mother Trudee was one of the four occupants, found out about the fire on Facebook. He lives on the east side of Vancouver Island, and for a few harrowing minutes he didnB次元官网网址檛 know where his mother was or whether she had been injured in the fire.

B次元官网网址淜ayla (MckenzieB次元官网网址檚 partner) let me know.B次元官网网址� he said. A friend drove by the burned house and sent them a photo, and he identified it as the home where his mother was living with three friends. He wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to learn anything from calls to West Coast General Hospital or the Port Alberni RCMP until an RCMP member contacted the fire department and relayed to Mckenzie that all occupants made it out of the house.

He still didnB次元官网网址檛 know where his mother was.

B次元官网网址淢y momB次元官网网址檚 best friend contacted me on Facebook as well because she was concerned. She went around to hotels and found my mom.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e OK. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the biggest concern,B次元官网网址� he said.

His mother told him there was an explosion of some sort, and when she opened the door between the house and attached garage, thick, black smoke came through the door.

B次元官网网址淚 guess it started abruptly and spread quickly,B次元官网网址� Mckenzie said. His mother yelled for one of the residents who lived above the garage, and he was already running downstairs to get out.

B次元官网网址淭hey managed to escape with the clothes on their backs and nothing else, no phones, no photos, no contacts, nothing.

B次元官网网址淭hings can get replaced but they canB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�

A four-month old kitten named Bella is missing from the fire, and family members are hoping she was able to escape. Neighbours are watching for her.

Mckenzie has started a gofundme fundraiser for his mother (). HeB次元官网网址檚 not asking for much: just enough to make sure his mother and her roommates will be able to have a temporary place to stay, buy some clothes and food.

They were provided with three nightsB次元官网网址� accommodation in a hotel through emergency services, but that will run out soon.

B次元官网网址淚 am making this (fundraiser) in the hopes that my mother along with the three others involved will be able to get the help needed in order to move forward from this devastating loss.B次元官网网址�