Investigators are working to find out what sparked a fire that destroyed a home in North Vancouver’s Blueridge neighbourhood early Thursday morning.
According to District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, the first 911 calls came in around 2:45 a.m. When crews arrived, they found the two-storey home on the 1600 block of Medwin Place fully engulfed.
The lone occupant, a woman in her 60s, was forced to dangle from her second-floor balcony and drop to the ground, breaking bones in both feet and ankles, according to neighbours.
Neighbour Cathy Pearce said she was awoken by the victim’s scream. Moments later another neighbour pounded on Pearce’s front door to let her know the nearby house was on fire.
Within 10 minutes flames were shooting straight up through the house, Pearce said.
“It was terrifying,” she said.
By the time firefighters arrived, the home was too far gone to be saved. A camping trailer and vehicle in the driveway were both also torched.
“The home is a loss for sure,” said assistant fire chief Walt Warner. “The guys did well to put the fire out and save the surrounding area. There were two neighbouring houses that were undamaged.”
It took firefighters about three hours to get it knocked down completely, Warner said.
Investigators were on the scene for much of the day Friday looking for the cause and point of origin but, because of the amount of damage, it will take some time, Warner added.
