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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Rogers Communications to buy out Bell's share of MLSE for $4.7 billion
Rogers Communications Inc. is buying out Bell's 37.5 per cent share of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for $4.7 billion, giving it 75 per cent ownership of the sports conglomerate.
Record-breaking Lotto Max jackpot tickets sold in Ontario, Quebec
Two lucky people in Ontario and Quebec will split Tuesday’s record-breaking $80-million Lotto Max jackpot.
Affordability crisis could be reaching its peak in Canada, economist says
With Canada's annual inflation rate reaching the central bank's two per cent target, the country's affordability crisis could be peaking, according to an economist.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, goes back to work days after cancer treatment update
Catherine, Princess of Wales has held her first engagement since revealing that she has completed her chemotherapy treatment.
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
Ukrainian drones strike a large military depot in a Russian town northwest of Moscow
Ukrainian drones struck a large military depot in a town deep inside Russia overnight, causing a huge blaze and prompting the evacuation of some local residents, a Ukrainian official and Russian news reports said Wednesday.
How to prevent lung cancer, regardless of whether you smoke, according to a doctor
More people who have never touched a cigarette are getting lung cancer, but there are ways to prevent it, according to a doctor.
This airport landing is so challenging only 50 pilots are qualified to do it
Bhutan's Paro International Airport (PBH) is widely considered one of the most technically difficult plane landings in the world. Maneuvering onto a short runway between two 18,000-foot peaks requires both technical knowledge and nerves of steel.
Exploding Hezbollah pagers in apparent Israeli attack made by Hungarian company, Taiwanese firm says
A company based in Hungary was responsible for manufacturing the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria in an apparent Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah’s communications network, another firm whose brand was used on the devices said Wednesday.