2 occupants escape destructive Coquitlam house fire

A house in Coquitlam’s Eagle Ridge neighbourhood has been destroyed by a massive fire that erupted Wednesday morning.

Photos from the scene show a two-storey home in the 1100 block of Creekside Drive engulfed in bright orange flames, which also appear to have consumed a vehicle in the attached garage.

Assistant Coquitlam Fire Chief Stu Aspinall says reports of the blaze started coming in around 9:45 a.m.

“The initial call was just someone yelling ‘Fire!’ and then hanging up,” Aspinall told CTV News.

He says the fire at one house was “fully involved” when crews arrived, and properties on either side faced exposure risks.

“There’s been some heat damage to the houses adjacent to it, but we did manage to keep the fire to the one house,” Aspinall said.

Two people who were inside when the fire began have been accounted for, according to Aspinall, but he couldn’t say whether they suffered injuries.

A neighbour told CTV News that one of the occupants suffered burns on the back of their neck.

A total of four occupants and four dogs resided in the home, and Aspinall says one of the pets has gone missing. 

Twenty firefighters responded to the blaze, which was contained within an hour.

Huge plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the sky, catching the attention of onlookers, who posted photos on social media. 

 

This is a developing story, check back for updates.