Two families in Mission, B.C. will spend a second night in a hotel after a fire forced them from their homes on Friday.

Mission Fire Chief Ian Fitzpatrick says fire crews were paged to the 7900-block of Burdock Street around 11:30 p.m. and found a home's garage engulfed in flames.

"Two of the vehicles were on fire, and the fire had moved its way into the roof area, into the attic," he said.

Thirty fire fighters responded to the blaze that spread to the roof of a neighbouring home after swallowing up a third vehicle.

Fitzpatrick says their work was made more difficult by a tin roof that trapped heat and their need to wait for BC Hydro to re-energize lines.

"We had electrical wires down on two of the vehicles, and they were live," he said.

Two families, including four kids and half a dozen pets, escaped without injury.

The first home that caught on fire belongs to Patricia Regan, a mother-of-two, whose husband died two years ago in a car accident.

Her mother-in law, Inga Regan, says the family had just finished renovations.

"It used to be my house, my son bought it from me, so its lots of memories in that home. But homes can be replaced, lives can't," she said.

The family questions whether a recent upgrade sparked the blaze.

"They had a new smart meter installed a day ago, so that's the only thing that changed. So they are suspicious of that," Inga said.

Investigators examined the scene Sunday, probing the smart meter and a nearby propane tank. They are still trying to determine where and how the blaze began, but believe it likely started in a carport.

Neighbour Tina Ebaghetti is also raising questions abut the response time, saying that a fire station is located just blocks away.

"I'm so saddened how long it took a response," she said. "It just took so long for them, when a minute seems like an hour."

Fitzpatrick says it took him eight minutes from receiving the page to arrive at the fire.

"It does take time for our members to leave their houses, especially 11:30 at night, to get down to the fire hall, get into their gear and get out to the call," he said.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Bhinder Sajan