Two people have died in an overnight apartment fire in Duncan that also resulted in four people being taken to hospital. Chief Geoff Spriggs of the Duncan Fire Department says multiple calls came in around 2:30 a.m. from the Gala Vista apartment complex on Government Street. “When I arrived, there was some light smoke showing from the front of the building and fire showing from the back of the building,” said Spriggs. The fire was isolated to a single unit. “Dispatch was reporting a number of people either stuck in their units or stuck on balconies unable to get into hallways because of the amount of smoke that was in the hallways,” said Duncan’s fire chief. Crews from the Duncan Fire Department, North Cowichan Fire Department and Cowichan Bay Fire Department quickly began to hit the fire at the back of the building. “We were taking people with ladders off the balconies and helping to escort people out of the building,” said Spriggs. Among those rescued were Annalee George and her family of five. “It was like pitch black in there and I couldn’t even see in the hallway,” said George. Roughly 50 people have now been displaced from their homes. They gathered this morning at a nearby hall where Emergency Management Cowichan has set up a reception centre. The goal is to find those displaced by the fire temporary accommodations. “I thought it was another false alarm and I didn’t get too excited until I heard the pounding on the door,” said Mary Walsh, who was home sleeping in her apartment when the fire alarms began to sound. “We will be working with (Emergency Management Cowichan) as well to help the people that have been displaced get more immediate things like medications, wallets, keys and things like that,” said Spriggs. That could include retrieving pets that were left behind during last night’s building evacuation. RCMP, the BC Coroners Service and the Office of the Fire Commissioner are investigating. “It’s now going to be a co-ordinated effort in what are the next steps,” said Spriggs. ”We are working with the building owners in finding out what our timelines are to get people back in, if that’s possible.” Duncan’s fire chief says many of the building’s units have suffered extensive smoke and water damage, meaning when people can return home is still very much an unknown.
