1 person dead in Chilliwack, B.C., apartment fire
One person died in a massive apartment fire Chilliwack early Thursday morning.
The flames broke out about 1:20 a.m. at the Hazelwood Manor on Hazel Street near Margaret Avenue.
The heat and flames were so intense, residents began jumping from their balconies before firefighters arrived.
“Crews deployed ground ladders quickly and started performing rescues from those balconies, while the setup of water supply and deployed handlines and master streams for a defensive attack,” said Assistant Chief Andrew Brown, of the Chilliwack Fire Department.
Alan Bukuska lives next door and was woken up by the sound of firefighters kicking down his fence.
When he rushed outside, he noticed a man in distress on the third floor.
He called for help and firefighters used a tall ladder to carry the man to safety.
“Definitely a good shot of adrenaline. Yeah, I couldn't really believe it. Waking up at 1:30 in the morning, you don't really expect this type of thing to be happening,” said Bukuska.
It’s a situation that Brown says his crews are trained for, but he’s proud of their bravery, adding their efforts saved many lives.
“The rescues are difficult for fire crews. There is a lot of stress involved that are more or less what we train for we prepared for that. And the guys did a great job deploying the ground ladders and efficient safe manner and getting people off those balconies,” said Brown.
Sadly, one person that jumped from the building did not survive the fall.
Brown doesn’t believe any other residents were hurt, but two firefighters had to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Bukuska was concerned about the flames reaching his home, at one point fire crews were fighting the flames from his rooftop.
“At one point, the flames were shooting out quite drastically, like right out over into the street almost. But yeah, the roof was on fire at one point and the smoke was so thick that we had to all stand way back here because it was just blowing right towards us," he said.
The building is severely damaged and has been deemed unstable so fire crews are not yet able to go inside. An engineer is expected on site Friday to determine if it’s safe enough to enter, and further assessments will determine if the building will need to be demolished.
“Looks like it started in the rear of the building up in the upper floors. The challenge is that it’s an older building with concealed spaces. So that you know makes it harder for crews to access the fire,” Brown told CTV News, adding investigators will also look at whether fire alarms went off.
“A lot of times in a fire, the alarms go off, occupants get out fairly quickly and I don't know why in this building they weren’t out as quick and they were on balconies,” he said.
Bukuska said it was incredible to watch firefighters do their work.
“It was really shocking. But when I saw what they were doing, I had full confidence. They knew what they were doing. They're keeping us safe. And I can't thank them enough they did an amazing job.”
The building has approximately 50 units.
All residents have been taken to a nearby reception centre and have access to emergency services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.