Five people were left homeless this weekend when flames devoured a fifth wheel, a camper, trailer and building at Smokey Bear Campground west of town.
“The fire (which occurred at 4:26 am on April 30) was isolated to these structures and crews did a great job in actioning the fire, considering the campground is in our Protection Area but a long distance away from the nearest water supply” said Fire Rescue Services Chief Rob Girard. “All five occupants were out of the RVs when fire crews first arrived on scene.”
One of them, a woman, suffered from smoke inhalation and burns to her hands and forehead. She was transported by BCAS to Queen Victoria Hospital.
All four structures were destroyed in the blaze and the 22 Revelstoke Fire Rescue Service personnel on the scene used 6,300 gallons of water to extinguish and the fire in just under an hour and a half.
Emergency Social Services officials took charge of the five displaced occupants and helped them find shelter for the night.
“I cannot stress enough how appreciative we are to have ESS volunteers available within our community to come to the aid of individuals in these types of circumstances,” Girard said.
People in the larger community are also coming together to help at least two of the people who lost their homes. A Facebook site has been set up to assist Sarren Wolfe and Amanda Kennedy and has already attracted plenty of response.
Because the fire happened outside of town, Revelstoke Fire Rescue Service has no authority to investigate its cause. However, Girard did take the opportunity to remind all residents to care in their use of smoking material and to extinguish all campfires when they are not attended.
That was just the start to what turned out to be a busy day.
Fire Crews were also dispatched at 6:10 am to an energized lamp standard that was struck by a vehicle in Mutas Loop near the A&W. Crews secured that scene until a City electrician Arrived to de-energize it. Then at 8:36 am, fire crews were yet again dispatched to a chimney fire in the 200 block of Ninth Street East and extinguished that fire.
