A massive house fire in Coquitlam forced 17 people out on to the street early Wednesday morning after flames spread to neighbouring homes.
The fire broke out just after 4 a.m. at a home on Dawes Hill Road near Cape Horn Avenue.
Crews arrived to a fully involved fire that had spread to an adjacent home and caused major damage at the house of origin.
“We’ve got a partial roof collapse, so it’s tough for crews to get inside and get the work done,” said Coquitlam Deputy Fire Chief Rod Gill.
Fire officials also said a floor inside the home had collapsed as well.
Crews eventually manage to contain the flames, and all seven people staying at the house all got out safely, as well as all pets inside.
Gill said three people had to be treated for smoke inhalation, but no major injuries were suffered.
Homeowner Shawn MacWilliams said the fire appeared to have been sparked in the basement, where his teenage son lives.
“I went to bed about nine-thirty, I got woken up around three-thirty or four,” MacWilliams said. “By the time I grabbed my clothes and got out, my curtains in the bedroom were on fire.”
He said the fire may have been sparked by an unattended lit cigarette. Fire officials have not confirmed the cause.
Though everyone got out okay, MacWilliams said the blaze stole irreplaceable items from him.
“I lost everything. Everything,” he said. “I’ve got two Harley motorcycles in there, a friend’s motorcycle, my clothes, pictures, family pictures from when I was a kid.”
Gill said crews were still working to extinguish the last of the blaze before trying to retrieve items from the home for out-of-town relatives staying there.
The relatives, from Calgary, were scheduled to fly back home Wednesday, he said.
