The destruction of a Port Mellon home on Aug. 16 has raised serious questions about how the incident was handled and has exposed a gaping hole in fire protection services for at least one community on the Sunshine Coast.
The home on Dunham Road owned by Brendan Ladwig and Amber Jackson (who, in a sad twist of fate, were set to get married three days after the fire) burned to the ground amid frantic efforts by the family and their neighbours to bring in help.
A call to 9-1-1 was directed to the Gibsons fire department, but because Port Mellon lies outside the Gibsons fire protection area and no “life safety” issues were reported, Gibsons did not respond. Fire Chief Rob Michael said the department sought special approval to respond from the Provincial Emergency Program, but the request was denied.
Even more bewildering, calls for assistance to Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (HSPP) went unanswered for more than two hours, according to Ladwig, although he said he witnessed company vehicles drive by the scene three times before a firefighting crew finally showed up.
Ladwig’s account flatly contradicts HSPP spokeswoman Kathy Cloutier, who said the company’s response was immediate. “I’m hearing of absolutely no delay,” Cloutier said this week. “As soon as they got the call they responded.”
Despite the conflicting accounts, one fact that cannot be debated is that an early-morning fire reduced a house on Dunham Road to a pile of smoking ashes. How much the apparent lack of timely response contributed is a matter of speculation at this point.
The incident demands a thorough review by local and provincial emergency response authorities. Roles and responsibilities need to be clearly identified and communicated to the residents and HSPP management, whose input will be vital. Since Port Mellon is situated in the West Howe Sound electoral area, the Sunshine Coast Regional District should take the lead.
The fact that no one died or was injured in the Aug. 16 blaze is a definite consolation, but next time could be a different story.
Call this a very serious wake-up call.
