Former North Vancouver city councillor, daughter killed in house fire

The City of North Vancouver and people across the North Shore are mourning the loss of former city councillor Bob Fearnley and his daughter Gayle after the pair died in a massive house fire Thursday morning.

Multiple family friends identified the victims to CTV News, and city Mayor Linda Buchanan issued a statement Thursday afternoon offering condolences.

"I am incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Bob and his daughter," Buchanan said. "Bob was an active member of our community and dedicated many years to public service, having served on city council from 1996 to 2011."

Flags will fly at half-mast across the city in remembrance of the deceased, the mayor added.

Firefighters from the District of North Vancouver said flames broke out at a home on Delbrook Avenue near Granada Crescent around 3 a.m., and crews arrived on scene within seven minutes of receiving the call.

“They were able to take offensive actions to extinguish the structure and unfortunately were unable to alter the outcome with two fatalities,” DNVFS Chief Brian Hutchinson told reporters at a news conference later in the morning.

In an interview with CTV News, former city mayor Darrell Mussatto described the deaths as "tragic."

“It’s a really sad time. I just found out a few minutes ago,” Mussatto told CTV News.

He describes his former colleague as dedicated, hard-working and someone who gave a lot to his community.

“He had an amazing family,” Mussatto said. “He was admired by a lot of people for his dedication and he will very much be missed in our city. It’s a sad day for North Vancouver.”

More than two dozen fire personnel helped battle the blaze before it spread to nearby homes and trees.

“Some of the crews, some of them on their way they could see the glow in the distance and knew they were going to be dealing with a large fire. The crew that arrived on scene first didn’t have that knowledge,” Scott Ferguson, assistant fire chief of operations, said Thursday.

“Approximately half the house was in flames, first and second floor, on our arrival,” he said.

Ferguson added that two cars parked in the home’s driveway were also on fire when crews arrived, but it’s unclear if the burnt vehicles triggered the blaze, or were engulfed as a result.

“I think one of them was a hybrid and there was a small explosion crews had to deal with as well when they were ready to enter,” he said.

Neighbours told CTV News that four people lived in the home, and it's believed the two survivors are Fearnley's wife and son, Via and Paulo. 

“We are in the very early stages of this investigation," said North Vancouver RCMP Const. Mansoor Sahak in a statement, adding that police and DNVFRS are working together to determine the cause of the fire.

At this stage in the investigations, authorities say most of the fire activity happened on the south side of the house in the garage and porch areas.

This is a developing story and will be updated.