RV fire talk of the park

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Neighbours gathered in front of a burned RV, Tuesday morning, to comfort the owner.

A fire that destroyed the RV at Summerland Beach RV Park, late Monday, also damaged other RVs in the vicinity.

"I remember hearing the owner scream "I'm on fire," so I came over and saw the vent in the ceiling of the RV was shooting out flames and then another neighbour came and grabbed my garden hose and started using it," said Don Perkins, who lives just behind the RV that burned.

George Pugh, assistant fire chief with the Summerland Fire Department, said crews responded to the fully involved trailer fire at 11:32 p.m. 

Fourteen firefighters, two engines and a tender responded.

"Our main concern was the exposures and dealing with the propane cylinder," said Pugh.

The fire was knocked down by 11:55 p.m., and the one man who lived there was not injured.

The man,who was too upset to speak with media, was placed in the care of emergency social services.

There was some heat damage to surrounding RVs, with the possibility some would be writeoffs.

"It was pretty worrying for people, absolutely, that the fire might spread," said Roy Hiller, who rushed out to help when the fire started. "I got a lot of heat damage. I think she's a writeoff."

Most were quick to express concern for their neighbour who lost his home.

"It was totally gone in about 12 minutes," said Bryan Sim. "It was pretty sad for my neighbour. His whole life, all his belongings in the world, went up in flames."

For many at the scene, it stirred up memories of another fire in 2012, when three units burned at the same RV park.

"That was a really bad one," said Anita Thorne, who sustained damage to the outside of her unit in Monday's fire. "My feeling is do we really need this? But we love it down here."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.