A seven-year-old boy died Sunday from injuries suffered in a house fire in Nanaimo early Saturday.
The boy suffered significant burns and smoke inhalation and was in cardiac arrest when he was pulled from the house by two firefighters. He was resuscitated at the scene and was taken by hovercraft to B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver.
His death was confirmed by the B.C. Coroners Service.
The two firefighters who found him in the burning house are devastated, said assistant fire Chief Martin Drakeley.
“It leaves a lasting effect on you,” Drakeley said. “Many of our firefighters have young children.”
At about 3:15 a.m. Saturday, RCMP officers spotted smoke and fire coming from a building in the 300-block of Albert Street. The officers were told someone was still in the house and tried to get in but couldn’t get past the front doors because of heavy smoke and flames, Drakeley said.
Four minutes later, Nanaimo fire crews arrived and made what is called a survivability profile, Drakeley said. Essentially, it means the commander and the attack team assess what are the chances of someone coming out alive.
“The crew did that and they obviously made the right decision,” Drakeley added.
Two firefighters entered the blazing building, fighting the fire as they searched for the boy. Within minutes, they found him in a back bedroom and pulled him out.
“It probably seemed like hours to them. Everything kind of slows down when you’re searching for victims and having to battle the fire,” Drakeley said. “They did an extremely good job of it. They were able to find him quickly and bring him out.”
Firefighters are always at risk when they respond to these calls, especially when they believe people are trapped inside, he said.
“These two put their lives at considerable risk. Then they went right back to work and helped extinguish the fire.”
The critical-incident team was called in immediately to help the firefighters deal with what they had experienced.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The boy’s family is being helped by RCMP victim services and the City of Nanaimo community assistance program.
