An early morning fire on Dec. 19 that completely destroyed a trailer at Creekside Campground and RV Park in Wilson Creek was likely caused by a portable space heater being placed too close to combustibles, according to Sechelt fire Chief Trevor Pike.
“We’re still investigating it at this time, but basically we figure that was the probable cause,” said Pike.
The Sechelt Fire Department was alerted to the blaze at about 12:40 a.m. on Dec. 19 and within 14 minutes they had 22 firefighters on scene.
The department also called Roberts Creek for mutual aid and the Roberts Creek Fire Department sent five members.
Pike said the firefighters were able to knock down the flames on the trailer in about 10 minutes, but the home wasn’t salvageable.
He noted trailers and mobile homes burn very quickly due to their construction materials, so there was very little time to save the structure.
“The woman who lived there got out right away and within seven minutes the entire trailer was engulfed,” Pike said, noting he was given the timeline from a resident who was on scene before the fire department arrived.
What the department was able to do was save the two neighbouring trailers.
“The neighbouring trailer to the east side had some slight damage and the trailer to the west side was completely saved,” Pike said.
“So we were able to confine the majority of damage to the trailer of origin.”
Coast Reporter was unable to contact the owner of the trailer that burned down, but nearby neighbour Jim Reeve said he believed the woman’s family was looking after her over the holidays.
He said he tried to help battle the fire when he awoke to the flames outside his window but was unable to get water flowing through his frozen garden hose.
He noted the eight-foot-wide travel trailer that burned was only a couple of years old and was equipped with propane heat.
Pike stressed the importance of using heat sources hardwired into homes instead of relying on space heaters for warmth this winter.
“Space heaters are built for temporary use, not full-time use. Some of them malfunction and overheat. Sometimes cords will melt if the electrical system’s not set up to take the load. There’s a lot of different reasons they can start fires,” Pike said.
It’s important to leave a space of four feet around plug-in heaters when they’re operating, he added.
“If you’re going to use them you really have to be careful with them and place them in safe locations. Make sure that you’re home when you use them and don’t leave them unattended. Don’t place them too close to combustibles and make
sure that you use approved, proper devices, not cheap ones, because they are a major cause of structure fires in the province of B.C.”
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