A 47-year-old man is recovering in hospital after trying to save his elderly father from a fatal fire in their east Vancouver home early Thursday morning.
Fire department spokesperson Chief Dan Rodocker said it appears the 72-year-old victim appeared to be trying to put out the flames on his own when he was overcome by heat and smoke.
Rodocker said the basement was filled with clutter which fueled the flames and prevented the man from making a quick escape from the area.
"They have quite a bit of a packrat mentality here. The fellow was keeping everything," he told CTV News.
Firefighters found the elderly man on the basement floor. He died at the scene.
The victim's son tried to save his father but was driven back by the heavy fumes when he tried to get downstairs.
He was taken to hospital and treated for serious smoke inhalation.
It is believed the fire started because of an overloaded electrical circuit and a faulty extension cord.
"With all the junk in the building caught some fabric on fire and it spread from there," Rodocker said.
The Vancouver Police Department Arson Squad is investigating.
With files from The Canadian Press
