In the early morning hours of February 6, in the middle of the Island’s cold snap, the Otter Point Fire station received a call about a fire. At 12:43, they were called to attend a fire at 7951 West Coast Road. They were there within 10 minutes, by which time the registered manufactured home was fully engulfed in flames. John McCrea, Captain, Otter Point Volunteer Fire Department said their main concern was containing the fire. The burning building was by that point unoccupied.
“There was nothing left to go into, so our first concern was to protect the main house,” he said.
Sooke Fire Rescue Services also assisted with the call. “The fire was through the roof when we arrived,” said Chief Steve Sorensen, noting the roof was collapsing and no one was going in.
The occupant of the manufactured home was 16-year-old Calvin Currie who, according to his father Jeff Currie, fell asleep with a space heater on, to guard against the extreme cold that night.
Currie and his wife, April Ingham, awoke in the middle of the night (they live in the main house) to their son Calvin telling them the manufactured home was on fire.
A couple of more minutes, and it could have been too late, Jeff said. His son Calvin lost everything: his surf board, snow gear, clothing, art work and more. However, both Jeff and April are deeply appreciative that the losses were all material. With Calvin safe in their home, they are counting their blessings.