Revelstoke's fire chief is commending his crews for holding their own and preventing damage to an Arrow Heights house after a blaze engulfed a recreational vehicle (RV) on the property last Thursday.
Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services (RFRS) responded around 6:45 a.m. July 17 to a residential structure fire along Nichol Road, a couple of blocks over from the Queen Victoria Hospital.
Two fire engines, a ladder truck and a rescue vehicle were dispatched with an RFRS crew of 15 to douse the flames that had fully consumed the RV.
The teams were able to extinguish the blaze about 30 minutes after initiating their response.
RFRS reported no injuries either for its crews or for the Nichol Road residents, who hadn't had anyone staying inside the RV at the time, according to Fire Chief Steven DeRousie.
DeRousie described the blaze as "containable" and reported that the speed and strategy of his crews played a critical role in keeping the flames isolated to the RV, preventing serious damage to the property's principal residence nearby.
Roger Echlin, filling in for DeRousie as acting command, and career firefighter Devon King led RFRS's successful response to the Thursday fire.
Though the incident remains under investigation, DeRousie noted a wildcard element that's considered in how a fire starts is what the "human aspect" is. For example, as an RV enjoys many of the same appliances as a grounded house, firefighters will look at what influence the seasonality could've had, such as whether the residents were using heating systems during colder months.
"Really appreciate the crew was quick on scene," DeRousie said. "They were able to protect a home, a high-value home, without any injury — kudos to them on a job well done."
