Fire crews continue to monitor what remains of a three-storey home in Metchosin after a fire tore through the structure late Thursday night.
The fire started at 9:45 p.m. and was contained to a single home in the Aquarius subdivision on Pegasus Way with 20 firefighters from Metchosin, Sooke, Otter Point and East Sooke extinguishing the blaze.
Metchosin Fire Chief Stephanie Dunlop said when crews arrived on scene, the incident commander did a full walk around the property first.
“Flames were licking out of the windows already,” Dunlop said. “(There was) lots of smoke and flame. There was a glow in the sky. You could see fire from all around.”
Dunlop reported that a neighbour initially saw smoke and flame and knocked on the door to notify the occupants but nobody was home. He ran around to the back side which was engulfed in flames so he called 911.
“By the time we were even notified there were flames coming through the window already,” Dunlop said.
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The fire was put out at approximately 4:30 a.m. but a couple of engines and a full crew were on scene to monitor the site throughout the early morning hours, Dunlop said.
A great worry to neighbours and those who could see the glow in the sky was the possibility of a brush fire, Dunlop noted.
“We did have a few small spot fires around but we actually designate a few people to keep an eye on that,” Dunlop said.
No one was home when the fire started but the family dog is missing. The house was gutted, said Dunlop.
On Friday morning, a smell of smoke still hung in the air near the home, which had been cordoned off with tape. Hot spots remained and smoke could be seen from small fires that were still burning.
The Metchosin Fire Department will spend Friday morning dousing hot spots and an investigation into the cause of the fire will begin when the building is deemed safe to enter.
About 25,000 gallons of water was used to put out the fire through the night.
The people living in the home were tenants who have a lot of family in the area, which they will be staying with. According to Dunlop they are quite distraught at this time.
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She added the operation couldn’t have been as successful without the support of their mutual aid partners and the response agencies who were also on scene.
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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