BY DUCK PATERSON
A person died in a house fire in Ladysmith over the Easter long weekend.
Members of Ladysmith Fire Rescue were called out at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 31, to a reported structure fire on Walker Avenue.
“When the first officer arrived on the scene the basement of the structure was fully involved in flames,” noted the fire department. “It was felt that there was a potential of someone still being inside.”
Ladysmith Fire Rescue and North Oyster Volunteer Fire Department fought the fire for almost four hours before it was extinguished.
Crews said the home was occupied at the time and a grandson helped his grandmother, who uses a wheelchair, get out of the house.
“Unfortunately, during a sweep of the basement once the fire was extinguished, we found an occupant that had succumbed to the blaze,” the fire department said.
A B.C. Coroners Service spokesperson confirmed that they are “in the very early stages of investigating a death resulting from this incident” and would not provide any further information.
Members of the Ladysmith RCMP attended the fire scene and are still investigating. The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Emergency social services was working with the occupants of the home.
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-files from Greg Sakaki/Black Press Media