Officials with the Saanich Fire Department continue to investigate the cause of a fire that caused $300,000 in damages to a Saanich house Sunday.
“At this point, it’s still going to be classified as undetermined,” said Capt. Mike Simpson, with Saanich’s fire prevention office. While Simpson said he will continue his investigation over the coming days, he said it might not ever yield a definitive outcome. “It’s not suspicious in any way,” he said of the fire. “I would suggest it is accidental.”
Crews responded to the 200 block of Homer Road at around 10:28 a.m. following reports of a structure fire. Crews arriving on scene found smoke coming from the roof vents of the two-storey home. Crews quickly determined the fire started in the basement and extinguished it while conducting a search of the unoccupied building.
Simpson said he recently spoke with the occupants of the house. “They were visibly upset,” he said. “It’s a real tragic event.”