VANCOUVER — An old, multi-storey home in east Vancouver was destroyed Tuesday morning, but everyone got out safely after flames gutted the attic and upper floors.
Vancouver Fire Chief John McKearney said fire broke out around 5 a.m. and the home, which had been divided into four suites, was fully engulfed when crews arrived.
Several occupants had to be rescued by ladder and three were taken to hospital as a precaution, along with a firefighter who was believed to have suffered a separated shoulder.
McKearney said the fire appeared to have started at the rear of the home in an area where several cars were parked, then quickly ran up the side of the building and into the attic.
A 19-year-old woman who lived in the uppermost suite was unaccounted for in the hours after firefighters controlled the flames but she had been located, safe and sound, by mid-morning.
What sparked the fire remains under investigation but McKearney said it didn’t appear suspicious, although he expected it would take several days to confirm a cause. (Global)
Curt Isakson is a 35 year veteran of the fire service. Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue. Previously worked 9 years with the Pensacola Fire Department where he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a young age as a Junior firefighter with the Midway Fire Protection District and rose through the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, career, and combination departments.
Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief and been assigned to operations, training, inspections, and was Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates County Fire Tactics that covers a very diverse range of fire service topics, as well as Firefighter Rescues, a site that documents rescues made by firefighters around the country.
He has annual contracts with numerous departments to provide standardized monthly training for these departments that respond daily together under an automatic aid agreement. Curt teaches nationally to include; FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and owns/operates the annual HROC, COBC, WOTF, CFT ODP on Pensacola Beach. He is a Florida Certified Fire Officer, Instructor, Inspector, Arson, and FLUSAR.
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