One injured, 18 displaced in Nanaimo fire

One person was injured and 18 people were displaced after fire broke out in a fiveunit apartment building in downtown Nanaimo early Saturday.

One unit was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived on the scene in the 200-block of Sabiston Street at about 12:50 a.m., Nanaimo assistant fire chief Brad Wood said.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to one unit, but the other four units suffered extensive smoke damage and were left without power. All occupants were able to escape, although one suffered burns, Wood said.

“This was a very serious incident, and it’s fortunate that everyone escaped. Structure fires that displace this many people are rare, but all of the responding agencies worked well together to minimize the impact,” Wood said.

Eighteen residents are being now getting temporary accommodation through the city’s Community Assistance Program.

The Nanaimo blaze follows the death of a man in a fire at a Qualicum Beach antique store on Friday.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Remember That Collectibles at 127 Fern Rd. at about 10:30 a.m.

The first crew swept through the smoke-filled single-storey building and found the owner’s dog, which was resuscitated by paramedics.

It was during a secondary sweep that the store’s owner was found in a room in the back of the building, about six metres from the fire.

The man was taken out of the building and initial attempts to resuscitate him were successful, but he died while awaiting air transport to hospital, said Fire Chief Darryl Kohse.

The coroner hasn’t determined the cause of death, but Kohse said it’s likely to be smoke inhalation.

It appears the man lived in the building, which included a packed warehouse of collectibles and furniture.

The building suffered fire damage to interior walls and the roof. The rest of the damage was smoke related.

The cause is unknown. It’s believed a faulty or misused electrical appliance may be to blame, Kohse said.