Two people were sent to hospital with injuries after a late-night house fire ignited in the basement suite of a Port Alberni home.
Port Alberni Fire Department was called to a two-storey home in the 2600-block of First Avenue just after 11 p.m., deputy Chief Wes Patterson said. “Crews arrived on scene and there was heavy smoke coming out of the basement.”
Three residents were able to escape the fire, and two were sent to West Coast General Hospital with undetermined injuries.
“The basement was heavily damaged with fire and smoke throughout,” Patterson said. The fire “transitioned” from inside the house up the exterior and into the roof, making it challenging to extinguish.
“It was fully involved when we got there, in the basement,” he added.
“Unfortunately there were two dogs that were deceased.”
The house fire was the second structure fire for the PAFD in one day. Just after 5 p.m. they received a call about a fire at Our Home on Eighth shelter, in the 3900-block of Eighth Avenue. That fire occurred inside one of the second-storey rooms, but was contained via the building’s sprinkler system as well as a shelter employee’s efforts, Patterson said. The room’s resident was taken to West Coast General Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
There was some water damage to the kitchen below the affected room. “We were able to get all residents back in except for the one unit” on the same day, he added.
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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