An overheated cooking device being used in the garage of a Riverbend Drive home in Coquitlam is being blamed for starting a fire that sent two people to hospital Monday night.
The fire torched one of the homes and significantly damaged two neighbouring buildings, which remain unoccupied pending restoration. Coquitlam fire chief Wade Pierlot said the blaze is not suspicious.
"Residents are reminded that most outs outdoor cooking devices should only be used in well-ventilated, non-enclosed areas and kept well away from any combustible materials," he said in a press release.
Two people were taken to Eagle Ridge Hospital Monday with what Pierlot said were minor burns. They were questioned by investigators and later released.
In the coming days, Pierlot said his firefighters will be going door-to-door to talk to neighbours about fire safety as part of a community relations effort.
"We ask them if they have any questions or concerns," he said. "We are also able to pass on some fire safety messages. It is something we hope will pay off in the long run."
He added that the program only recently started but is getting positive feedback from the community.
Monday's blaze was the third major fire in Coquitlam this year.
Last month, more than 100 people were left homeless after fire tore through an apartment building on Glen Drive. That blaze started on the balcony of one of the units, around a barbecue and some recycling that had been left outside. The flames eventually moved into the gap in the ceiling and spread to other parts of the building.
And in January, parts of a strip mall on Falcon Drive and Barnet Highway were destroyed when a fire broke out in the kitchen of one of the restaurants. In that case, the flames also moved into the ceiling and spread to other units before firefighters were able to knock the blaze down.
@GMcKennaTC
