Burnaby house fire displaces 2, prompts firefighters to go into ‘rescue mode’

Firefighters in Burnaby raced to the scene of a house fire Monday evening, after reports someone may be trapped inside a burning home.

Darcy Robinson, assistant fire chief with Burnaby Fire, says firefighters were on route to the fire at 7250 First Street around 5 p.m., when they received reports there may be someone in need of rescuing within the burning building.

Upon arrival, Robinson says crews went into “rescue mode,” when the homeowner told them he thought his son was still inside.

“We checked the top floor, for maybe 15 to 20 minutes, with nothing found when the crews came out,” he said.

“And then shortly after, walking up the street was the son that was reportedly in the house.”

In the end, no injuries were reported.

The father and son were the only two occupants of the home and both have been displaced by the fire, Robinson says.

While the cause of the fire is still unknown, Robinson says neighbours reported seeing the fire spread from the back deck into the kitchen, and then into the attic.

A total of nine trucks and 32 personnel responded to the two-alarm fire, which Robinson says he’s thankful turned out to be a succesful call.

“Buildings can be fixed or renovated but life is of the utmost importance, so that’s what (firefighters) do first,” he said.

-With files from David Nadalini