Port Coquitlam family displaced after major house fire in Citadel neighbourhood
A family has been displaced after a significant fire tore through a single-family home in Port Coquitlam’s Citadel neighbourhood Thursday morning.
Port Coquitlam Fire Department crews were called to the blaze at 6052 McChessney St. at about 7:40 a.m. on June 18. Firefighters remained on scene for roughly three hours, with operations continuing until around 10:40 a.m.
Fire Chief Blake Clarkson said all four fire apparatus and available crews responded to the incident, arriving to find a fully involved structure fire – meaning both the internal and external structure was ablaze.
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“It was a fire that you could see from quite a distance,” Clarkson said. “There’s significant fire damage to the home.”
The building contained two residential units including a basement rental suite. All occupants had safely escaped before firefighters arrived. One resident suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.
Clarkson said firefighters quickly shifted their attention to preventing the blaze from spreading to neighbouring homes, which were located only about 10 feet away.
He credited firefighters with protecting surrounding properties despite the intensity of the blaze.
“There’s little to any damage to the neighbouring homes, which we consider success, because the homes were quite close together,” Clarkson said. “Usually at that close we’ll see some extension to neighbouring houses, but the crews focused on the extension, which is the right thing to do.”
The home itself sustained extensive damage. Clarkson said the fire spread through the ceiling and caused significant damage to both the structure and its contents.
“The occupants will be out for quite some time,” he said
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. While investigators have not yet determined an official cause, Clarkson said preliminary evidence and witness statements suggest the fire appears to have been accidental.
No further information about the displaced residents or the extent of property losses was immediately available.
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