An excavator was needed to help Chilliwack firefighters battle a fully-engulfed house fire Thursday (Dec. 9) morning.
The blaze happened just after 5 a.m. at a vacant house in the 46000-block of Bonny Avenue in the downtown area.
Approximately 25 Chilliwack Fire Department firefighters from five halls responded. They were only able to fight the blaze from the outside as they could not go inside the house because it was deemed unsafe to enter due to holes in the floors.
An excavator was brought in while crews were fighting the blaze to open up the house, which was the only effective way for them to put the fire out, according to fire chief Ian Josephson.
Crews were then able to control the fire and extinguish hot spots after the house was opened up.
It is suspected that trespassers lit the fire, but it’s unknown if it was intentional or accidental, Josephson said.
There were no firefighter injuries.
This fire may have been deliberately set and is under investigation by Chilliwack Fire Department and RCMP fire investigators.
If anyone has any information about any of the fires, they are asked to call the RCMP at 604-792-4611 or anonymously through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.upperfraservalleycrimestoppers.ca.
RELATED: ‘Deliberately set’ fire destroys vacant house downtown Chilliwack
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This house on Bonny Avenue in Chilliwack caught fire early in the morning of Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021. (Sandi Sideroff/ Facebook)
An excavator was brought in to help take down a house on Bonny Avenue while it was on fire so Chilliwack firefirghters could tackle the blaze on Dec. 9, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
An excavator was brought in to help take down a house on Bonny Avenue while it was on fire so Chilliwack firefirghters could tackle the blaze on Dec. 9, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
