142 residents evacuated from scene
Firefighters in Mission, B.C., worked under collapsing ceilings and heavy smoke on Monday as they evacuated a burning seniors’ home where 142 residents were inside, putting responder safety at the centre of a complex rescue operation, according to a report.
Mission fire chief Mark Goddard said air-conditioning units were falling through the ceiling behind crews as they moved through Chartwell Carrington House, a three-storey residence with a connected building. He said firefighters “put their lives at risk to evacuate residents on the third floor as the fire burned right above them,” The Canadian Press reported.
Fire crews remained on scene after the main fire was knocked down to extinguish hot spots, particularly in areas where the roof had collapsed, creating ongoing structural hazards, according to CP.
Photo from the Mission Fire Rescue Service Facebook page
Residents treated for smoke inhalation
Goddard said 16 of the 142 residents were treated for smoke inhalation, but no one was seriously injured, according to the report. The building housed seniors with varying levels of mobility, and many required assistance to leave.
While most residents managed to get out on their own, some had to be carried from the building by firefighters, CP reported. The combination of compromised infrastructure overhead and the need for physical rescues added to the operational risks for responding crews.
Goddard described the incident as “one of the most complex fires – for its scope and number of people – that the department has had to face,” according to the report. He said he could not “say enough about the courage of his crews” during the evacuation.
Fire crews rescues centenarian
About two hours into the firefight, crews searching the structure found a resident still alive on the third floor, the department said in a statement cited by CP. The woman, who is more than 100 years old, sustained only minor injuries and was treated for mild hypothermia.
“Incredible, she’s over 100 years old but she’s doing fine,” Goddard told the media on Tuesday, according to the report.
Goddard said the outcome could have been much worse without the efforts of staff at the seniors’ home. He told reporters he was not sure firefighters would have been able to safely evacuate all residents without the assistance of employees who know the building and its occupants, CP reported.
The residence is part of the Chartwell network of seniors’ housing. RCMP said in a statement that evacuees have since been picked up by family members or relocated to other Chartwell residences and hotels in the area.
Investigation
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the fire department said determining what started the blaze could take many days, according to the CP report. Police said no criminality is suspected at this time.
Fire crews continued to monitor the site for hot spots, especially in areas affected by the roof collapse, as investigators began work to determine how the fire started, CP reported.
