Two suspicious blazes Monday are under investigation by the fire department and police.
No one was hurt in either fire, but damages will run into the thousands of dollars.
The first happened around 10:30 a.m. at a residential home located at the corner of Delvecchio and Elizabeth roads.
Two people were inside the home when the fire started near the carport, and were able to safely exit the building. Firefighters were quickly on scene and were able to keep the blaze from spreading.
“The fire had spread into the ceiling space and was beginning to extend into the living space of the structure,” said Vrabel. “Crews extinguished the fire, and that contained structural damage to the carport area, but there was smoke damage inside the home.”
The second suspicious fire call came in at 10:30 p.m. from the Eagles Nest Motel at 391 Island Highway. The motel, and a lower three-unit building located near the water, are unoccupied and have been boarded up for months. When fire crews arrived, the lower building was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to save the building, but there’s significant damage.
“We’ve been called to that location a few times because of vagrants and teenagers,” said RCMP Cpl. Poppy Hallam.
Police and fire investigators were back at the scene Tuesday morning searching for clues.
“The fire was originally called in as a blazing beach fire, seen from Quadra Island,” said Vrabel. “Crews extinguished the fire, but there was significant damage. Thankfully no one in the building.” Anyone with information about the fires is asked to call Campbell River RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
Third Fire
The fire department responded to three fire calls within 24 hours.
The first of the three came in around 8:15 p.m. on Sunday from a residence located in the 500 block Rockland Road.
The resident had left something going on the stove and that led to a kitchen fire.
“(We) found the remains of a kitchen fire, confirmed that the fire was out and that it had not spread beyond the kitchen,” says Deputy Fire Chief Chris Vrabel. “When the smoke alarm went off, one person was home at the time, and did the right thing by quickly leaving the building and calling 911 for help.”
No one was hurt and the resident was forced to find other accommodations while the damages are repaired.
“This is a reminder for people not to leave cooking unattended and to check their smoke alarms to ensure they are working,” said Vrabel.