It took 23 firefighters and one fire chief to battle a blaze that ravaged a three-storey home in Coquitlam, B.C., Thursday night.
Crews were called to a home on the 1800 block of Lemax Avenue at 9:30 p.m. to find heavy smoke and the upper levels and attic spaces engulfed in flames, Chris Fox, assistant chief for Coquitlam Fire and Rescue, said Friday morning.
“After making an aggressive interior attack and attempting to suppress the fire, conditions worsened, and crews had to withdraw due to the risk of a roof collapse,” he said.
The fire took hours to bring under control, with crews still extinguishing hot spots and conducting salvage operations until 3 a.m.
The five occupants of the new-build house were home when the fire started, had called 911 when they smelled smoke and had immediately evacuated the home, said Fox.
No injuries were reported, and the residents were able to find another place to stay for the night.
The investigation into the cause of the fire continues.
