Low-income and disabled Kamloops residents say they were woken by alarms and fire crews kicking in doors early Saturday after an apparent cooking fire led to a blaze that gutted parts of their apartment building.
“It went up in flames really fast,” Kiara Green, 19, tells KamloopsMatters. “We had to get out.”
“I had a panic attack,” she says.
Comforting her daughter outside the emergency reception centre set up at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre to assist forest fire evacuees, Mary Green comforted her daughter.
She says they got out so far her wallet, identification and medications were left behind.
“You’re not thinking. You get out,” Mary Green says.
“We stood outside and the flames started coming,” Kiara Green says.
Another resident says she saw smoke coming from a stairwell as she tried to flee the blaze, clutching her dog and a few belongings.
“We’re not even allowed in to get our stuff,” she says.
Kamloops Fire Rescue responded to a 4:15 a.m. call at 975 Tranquille Road.
"Upon arrival, the apartment building on the west end was fully involved on the second and third floors," says platoon capt. Troy Grant. "We have one apartment that's completely gutted on the second floor and we believe that's where the fire started. The two apartments above that on the third floor are also completely gutted."
It took four trucks and 16 firefighters to put out the blaze. There were a few minor injuries reported, including some residents who experienced smoke inhalation. The cause at this point is still undetermined, although crews on scene suspected it was a result of cooking on the deck. Fire investigators are still conducting an investigation.
While fire officials said residents would be displaced for a few days, the victims say they’ve been told the wait could be longer.
