Updated Dec. 28 with comments from Fire Chief Kurt MacDonald

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Five residents have been displaced after a fire broke out in a house on the 1200 block of 5th Street in Courtenay, late Monday afternoon.

B次元官网网址淚 was at work and I got a call that the house was on fire,B次元官网网址� said Amy Patton, one of the five residents in the rental home. B次元官网网址淚t started in the basement, but I donB次元官网网址檛 know much more. There was a plumber down there, trying to fix some frozen pipes.B次元官网网址�

All five occupants, as well as three dogs and a cat, escaped.

Firefighters were still on the scene Monday evening.

B次元官网网址�(The call came in) shortly after 4:30 p.m.,B次元官网网址� said Courtenay Fire Department Chief Kurt MacDonald, adding all occupants and pets were out of the home by the time the fire department arrived. B次元官网网址淚t did start in the lowest point of the house - the plumber was thawing out some pipes with a heat gun and some insulation took off and ran the wall and up into the attic.B次元官网网址�

MacDonald said there were some unusual challenges dealing with this fire.

B次元官网网址淭he house had been renovated over the years, so there were lots of void spaces up in the attic, and multiple layers of ceilings and wall coverings, so doing the work necessary to expose those areas was very challenging. Also with the colder temperatures, which obviously is an anomaly for us hereB次元官网网址� working in -9C presented some challenges that we are not accustomed to as well.B次元官网网址�

Firefighters used a ladder truck to gain access to some of the tough spots.

B次元官网网址淚t wasnB次元官网网址檛 there to attack the fire so much as it was to allow us to gain access to those areas,B次元官网网址� said MacDonald. B次元官网网址淚t was just safer for us to work off the aerial ladder rather than using ground ladders, with all the ice and snow that we were dealing with.B次元官网网址�

All residents were provided accommodations through the Emergency Support Services.

terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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