Initial story from Feb. 2 is first, followed by a Feb. 3 update below
A fire at a home at 309 Humbert St. appears to have caused considerable smoke and water damage, although there are no reports of injuries.
The incident was reported at around 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Official confirmation was not available from Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services, but it appeared the fire started in the roof, possibly a chimney fire.
A moderate amount of smoke wafted from the gable ends and curled up from underneath the tin roof when firefighters arrived.
An eyewitness said the fire was first spotted by the neighbour who saw smoke coming from the gable ends.
Over ten firefighters were on scene to help with the fire. A few entered the two-storey structure and could be seen ventilating the building and working into the ceiling, eventually hosing water into the crawlspace above the ceiling, spraying some out the gable vent.
Other firefighters used a ladder to get on the roof to access the chimney.
At least one of the owners was at home when the fire started, and everyone got out safely. A pet bird was also removed from the home, but the whereabouts of a pet cat was unknown at the time.
The fire appeared to be well under control in about 30 minutes, although firefighters remained on scene for some time after that.
The Times Review will update the story on Thursday with an official report from Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services.
UPDATE, Feb. 3, 10:45 a.m.
Fire Chief calls department's work 'a great save'
Revelstoke Fire Chief Rob Girard has provided an update on the Humbert Street house fire on Feb. 2.
Girard said the call came in from an off-duty firefighter who happened to notice smoke coming from the house. The fire was in the attic space. The lone occupant of the home was out before firefighters arrived.
"Firefighters arrived on scene and the initial second attack teams breached the second floor ceiling to gain access to the attic, which was made difficult because the ceiling was plywood over drywall," Girard said. "But once in, they quickly extinguished the fire [that was] burning around the brick chimney."
Girard praised the crews, saying the fire was close to being much worse. "This was a great save and judging how the fire was burning, I estimate we would have minutes before the attic would have been fully involved," Girard said. "And I am extremely proud of our firefighters for their quick action."
The roof trusses received extensive fire and smoke damage.
The fire was attended to by three fire engines and 23 firefighters.
Emergency social services was called in to help the family. "I cannot stress enough how appreciative we are to have ESS volunteers available within our community to come to the aid of individuals in these types of circumstances," Girard said.
There were no injuries during the incident.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, however Chief Girard provided the following advice: "Ensure that you do regular maintenance and cleaning of your wood stoves and chimney and if you think you have a chimney fire or any fire for that matter, always call 911."
Despite the damage, there was a happy ending in the incident:"firefighters located the family cat, unharmed, during salvage operations and returned it to the resident," Girard said.