Fire crews in Chilliwack were tasked with two potentially large fires at the same time, on either end of town in the early afternoon on March 9.
The first fire was in the 46000 block of Yale Road, at the Strachan apartment building at 12:39 p.m.
Wade Meers, assistant fire chief for the Chilliwack Fire Department, said that about 31 firefighters from three firehalls responded and found smoke showing from the first floor. They quickly established water supply and extinguished the fire, preventing the fire from extending beyond to the unit where it started.
Building manager Wendy Power called local firefighters "our heroes" for saving the building.
She said nobody was hurt in the fire, but the unit was "completely totalled," she told The Progress. "All surfaces are black with smoke and fire damage."
Chilliwack Emergency Support Services volunteers responded to the scene and provided support to two displaced occupants, and the fire is still under investigation by fire officials.
Power credits the quick actions of the fire department from saving the building, and also an employee who was prepping a unit in the building for a new tenant. When he saw flames from the unit, he called 911 immediately and knocked on doors of all 21 units to ensure everyone got out safely.
With that fire under control and crews busy ventilating, another call came in at 12:53 p.m. An RV was on fire on Winona Road up Chilliwack River Valley.
A decision was made to send the water tender to the Winona Road fire as reports came in that the fire was spreading to a house, other vehicles, trees and the live hydro lines. Firehalls 3 and 6 were sent to help the Chilliwack River Valley firefighters who were already on the scene and containing the fire.
Nobody was reported to be in the RV or the affected home, but live hydro lines were sparking in trees near the fire.
That fire is currently under investigation by the RCMP and Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department.
