Six people escaped from a residence fully engulfed in flames in the early morning hours of Friday, Nov. 1.
At approximately 1:20 a.m., the Agassiz Fire Department was called out to a medical emergency for an individual who suffered burns. The call was quickly upgraded to a structure fire in the 2300 block of Highway 7 – between Highlands Boulevard and Bodnar Road west of Agassiz. The AFD requested mutual aid from the Popkum, Harrison Hot Springs and North Fraser fire departments.
Initial firefighters and RCMP officers arrived on the scene at 1:32 a.m. to find the residence fully engulfed. Due to a long driveway, firefighters had to set up a water supply on the Lougheed Highway and transport water to the scene using a tender shuttle. Water transportation required the highway to be shut down in both directions for several hours.
Approximately 30 firefighters from multiple departments were on the scene.
All six residents in the building escaped safely; one person suffered mild smoke inhalation and minor burns to the hands. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
"This incident serves as a reminder to check or install smoke alarms, as they play a critical role in early detection that can save lives," said AFD Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Chiarot.
