Firefighters rescued three people from the second-storey of a Coquitlam home destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 a.m., when crews arrived to a fully involved blaze at Linton Street and Walnut Crescent. Three people were home at the time and Coquitlam Fire Chief Jim Ogloff told The Tri-City News that first responders had to use ground ladders to get them out of harms way.
“It was definitely a harrowing for the occupants, as you can imagine,” he said. “They were frightened and obviously concerned.”
While the occupants — an elderly couple and their middle-aged daughter — suffered some smoke inhalation and were taken to Royal Columbian Hospital, Ogloff said the injuries were not serious.
However, the home suffered significant damage.
The weight of the concrete roof tiles caused the roof to collapse and there was significant smoke and fire damage throughout the structure, he added.
Investigators are still on scene trying to determine what caused the blaze and where the flames originated. Because of the time of day, Ogloff said there were not many witnesses. However, he noted that investigators would be canvassing the property and the area for any door cameras or surveillance footage that could shed some light on what happened.
“So far, there’s not indication of the cause,” he said. “Our investigators are on the scene today and they will probably be there all day.”
