Esquimalt balcony catches fire
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Updated: September 28, 2009 2:05 PM
A Sunday night balcony fire in Esquimalt has assistant fire chief John James reminding residents to call 911 and pull the alarm.
The fire broke out around 10 p.m., at 1351 Esquimalt Rd., and 16 Esquimalt firefighters along with members of the Victoria fire department responded after a call came in from a neighbouring building on Sturdee Street.
Someone pounded on the door of the second-floor unit to notify two residents their balcony was on fire.
"When there's a balcony fire, there's no fire sensors out there, so it could be a blazing inferno and you'd never know it," James said.
Someone pulled the alarm bell, and everyone in the four-storey building evacuated.
The people weren’t wrong to knock on the door, but the best thing to do is pull the alarm and call 911, James said.
"Just because the fire alarms are going off in your building, doesn't mean that 911 has been called," he said.
Crews quickly doused the heavy smoke and flames from the inside and outside of the unit.
The improper disposal of an ash tray in a garbage can is to blame for the blaze, investigators said.
lweighton@vicnews.com
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