Fire chief Rob Girard is expressing concerns about lack of fire detectors after attending to a blaze in Farwell this weekend.
In a news release, he said Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services were called to a fire in a cabin on the 500 block of Wilson Street on Saturday at 10:51 a.m.
Girard said the lone occupant of the building had tried to extinguish the fire himself with a spray bottle and pot of water.
Upon arrival, firefighters pulled apart the exterior wall to expose the fire and extinguish it. It took one hour to put out the fire.
Emergency Social Services was activated to help the resident find lodging.
The fire was likely caused by a faulty electrical installation of an exterior light that resulted in an electrical short that sparked the fire in the wood-chip insulated wall, Girard said.
The fire chief's main concern was the lack of a fire detector in the home.
“What I find troubling is that the unit had no smoke alarms whatsoever, and while I was investigating the fire, I discovered two other units of this rental complex that were missing them as well,” he said.
Fire detectors were installed in all three cabins.
“We keep smoke alarms on our fire engines and command vehicles for instances just like these,” said Girard. “We are glad we can make things safer for these people.”
He issued a reminder to people to check their smoke detectors to make sure they're working. He also urged people to check for carbon monoxide detectors, make sure they're not overloading their electrical outlets or powerbars, and make sure chimneys are cleaned regularly.
“If you do a home safety audit today in your home it could save your life or the lives of a loved one,” he said.