Modian Thiessen and her husband Dillon Meier were at their Prince George home when the fire started late Wednesday morning.
They heard an unusual sound coming from above their heads and called 9-1-1.
Three fire trucks and 13 firefighters responded to the call to at 2779 Merritt Road at 11:25 a.m. and arrived to find heavy smole flames coming from the rear of the house.
Prince George Fire Rescue deputy chief Clay Sheen said firefighters said the fire was burning inside the roof structure and the only safe way to fight the flames was to open vents at the gable ends at either end.
“It’s got its challenges because it’s elevated and we have very little access. It’s not safe enough to go into the building," Sheen said. "The problem with older structures is they burn hot. It’ll be tough to know at the end of the day what caused the fire.”
Sheen estimated the damage at about $300,000.
“We’re hoping to save what’s inside, but the residents won’t be back in this house tonight,” said Sheen.
Thiessen and Meier have owned their house about a block north of Costco for about five years and they were the only two occupants. They have no pets and they both got out of the house immediately.
Tanya Spooner, manager of the city’s emergency services program, spoke with the couple at the scene and told them the program provides up to three days of lodging, food, and clothing, transportation and incidentals, if needed.
“It’s part of the provincial program to provide 72 hours of aid in an emergency like this and we’ve made the homeowners know what’s available to them and we’ll be reaching out to them in the next couple days to make sure they have everything they need,” said Spooner. “We’re available to them 24 hours a day.”
