B.C.

Two young brothers who died in a house fire on the Nanoose First Nation on Vancouver Island had been moved out of their own home to avoid the danger of falling trees in a wind storm, the RCMP say.

Const. Garry O'Brien said a man and woman woke up to the sound of a smoke alarm about 5 a.m. Wednesday in the home in Lantzville, about 17 kilometres north of Nanaimo.

He said the couple tired to put out the fire but failed before escaping with two other children and were unable to save the brothers, aged seven and 10, because of the quickly spreading flames.

O'Brien said one of the adults was hospitalized for treatment of burns and smoke inhalation while the second person was also treated for minor smoke inhalation.

The two children who were saved were not injured.

O'Brien said the fire is considered accidental and foul play is not suspected, but an investigation is continuing with the BC Coroner's Service.

A local First Nations chief told CTV News a tree fell on a hydro line Tuesday night, cutting power to the area, and there may have been lit candles inside the home.

O'Brien said the couple did not have insurance and lost everything including their two cars, and the First Nation is collecting financial donations along with donations of clothing and other articles for the family.

Mayor Jack de Jong, of neighbouring Nanaimo, said he was called out of a meeting with Vancouver Island mayors and given the news.

"This is the kind of tragedy that no mayor wants to face," he said. "It's traumatic, it's hard on council, we have a volunteer fire department. It's hard on the volunteers and it's hard on the native community. Everyone there is related in some way or other."

De Jong said he drove by the reserve after hearing about the tragedy and saw RCMP trauma teams offering support to the community.

He said the house involved in the inferno was among a group of relatively new homes and overlooked the ocean.