Three people from the same family have died and two more are in hospital after a fire Sunday morning in East Vancouver.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue was called to a detached home in the 2800 block of East 41 Avenue after the house caught fire sometime before 7:30 a.m. Jan. 29, says chief Karen Fry. When they arrived it was fully ablaze and two adults were outside.
The two told firefighters there were three more people inside, including a young child, believed to be under 10.
"Our firefighters courageously entered the home and were able to locate the three unaccounted for individuals and bring them out from the fire," says Fry. "Extensive and intense efforts by our crews to resuscitate were unsuccessful and tragically all three were pronounced deceased at the scene."
The five were from three generations of one family, Fry says. The child, mother, and grandfather did not survive the fire. The grandmother and father, while injured, were able to get out and are in hospital now.
"I believe the grandmother is being treated in hospital for, I'm not sure as to the extent, but probably smoke inhalation," Fry says. "The father of the young child is also in hospital and has extensive burns and smoke inhalation."
It's believed the fire started in the basement suite, she adds. Fire investigators are going through the rubble now, looking for a cause. Fry notes nothing about the fire appears to be suspicious.
"We send our sincere condolences and heartfelt thoughts of empathy to the family, to the friends, and to the community of the victims," Fry says. "An event like this can be overwhelming and heartbreaking for so many."
Resources are being brought in for the firefighters as well. Fry says 40 were on scene to fight the blaze.
"These types of incidents are devastating, not only for the family of the deceased and those suffering but for our firefighters and other first responders, " Fry says.
