A fire at a seniors housing complex in Mission on Monday night (March 9) has left 142 residents displaced, according to Mission Fire Rescue Service.
At a press conference on Tuesday (March 10), MFRS chief Mark Goddard said no serious injuries or fatalities were reported but 16 people were sent to hospital for smoke inhalation.
One resident – a woman over 100 years old – was found alive in the stairwell two hours into the response.
“I think she probably tried to escape and wasn’t able to make it,” Goddard said. “Our crews were doing a search of that area (and) found her. She was cold and she’d had some minor bumps and bruises but once she was brought out to BC Ambulance and warmed up … I think she’s probably doing quite well.”
MFRS responded to the large structure fire at Chartwell Carrington House on 7th Avenue after 6 p.m. with all three stations.
“The first crews reported heavy smoke, and fire that was throwing all the way through the roof. When you consider that it’s minutes from here, the fire did progress rather rapidly,” Goddard said.
The elderly residents were assisted out of the building by first responders and Chartwell staff as the flames quickly spread, Mission RCMP said.
“Chartwell staff was doing an excellent job of evacuating their people. I really can’t stress that enough — we wouldn’t have gotten people out without their help,” Goddard said.
Residents were evacuated onto the street and a nearby church took some of them in before they were taken by bus to Mission Leisure Centre, where a reception centre was established.
“All evacuees who had been at the Mission Leisure Centre have since been picked up by family members, or relocated to nearby Chartwell residences and local hotels,” Mission RCMP said.
Chartwell is working with their other properties to find temporary lodging for displaced people.
Goddard said it was one of the most hazardous fire operations MFRS has undertaken.
“We’re literally evacuating people on the third floor, as AC units were falling through the ceiling behind our crews. So it’s a very, very hazardous thing. Can’t say enough about the courage of the crews,” he said.
Fire crews are still on scene on Tuesday (March 10) to put out hot spots. The cause of the fire is under investigation but police say there is no indication of criminality at this time.
“It’s a very stubborn fire,” Goddard said.
According to Goddard, the building had working sprinklers but not in the attic space where they aren’t required. When the blaze reached the attic, the fire spread quickly.
MFRS crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading to a connecting property on Sixth Avenue, but the residents of that building are among the 142 displaced.
Chartwell Carrington House Retirement Residence said in a social media post that the priority during the evacuation was the safety and wellbeing of residents and team members.
“We are deeply grateful to our staff for supporting residents during the evacuation, and we thank the emergency responders leading this effort. We also appreciate the many offers of support from resident families, local businesses, and members of the community,” the post reads.
A social media post from the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team Southwest BC said no animals needed shelter overnight due to the blaze.
Coun. Angel Elias, who was acting mayor at Tuesday’s press conference, praised the heroism of first responders.
“It was absolutely amazing to see the quick action of our fire department, because they saved lives and they put their lives at risk,” Elias said.
She also thanked the community for its support during the fire.
“Churches opened their doors. Restaurants sent food. People showed up to help sit with loved ones while they were waiting for their families,” Elias said.
Moving forward, Goddard said Chartwell has a plan in place to support residents and extra support from the community isn’t required.