Vancouver house fully occupied with students had no smoke alarms

ON Tuesday, May 6 at 9:02 a.m., Vancouver firefighters received a call of smoke coming from a detached residential house on the 2100-block of West 46 Avenue. On arrival, firefighters saw smoke from the roof and immediately took action to make entry, fight the fire and search for occupants.

Upon entry, firefighters found that seven occupants remained inside the house unaware that the attic and roof were on fire above them. The house that was fully occupied with students had no smoke alarms to notify occupants of the heavy smoke and fire that was rapidly growing.

The quick call from a neighbour combined with firefighters in close proximity to the building prevented significant harm to lives and property. Without the quick phone call and arrival of firefighters on scene, the lack of smoke alarms and early notification could have ended in serious harm and property damage, said Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

Fires are growing hotter and faster in modern homes than in any year previous. Early warning and notification are critical to alert all occupants inside a building of smoke and fire. Having smoke alarms on each level and outside each sleeping area remains a low cost solution to reduce fire risk and injury and are a requirement for all dwellings inside Vancouver, noted Matthew Trudeau of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.