Two families have been displaced after a kitchen fire broke out Thursday evening in a fifth-floor apartment on Hockley Avenue in Langford.
West Shore fire crews were called to the scene just before 5 p.m. on April 21 for a report of a multi-family apartment fire, Langford Fire Rescue Chief Chris Aubrey said.
“Fortunately the sprinklers were able to contain the fire to the suite of origin, so there wasn’t much fire suppression we needed to do,” Aubrey said. “There was a really quick response by all the departments which really helped keep this contained.”
Fifteen firefighters from Langford, Colwood, and View Royal responded, and Aubrey said they were on scene for more than an hour despite the fire being contained and extinguished to ensure it hadn’t spread and smoke and water damage needed to be cleaned up.
There were no injuries and the mother and two children who were in the unit at the time of the fire were out safely before crews arrived. Firefighters were able to get the family cat out safely once they arrived.
Residents of the unit where the fire started and the unit directly below it were displaced from their homes and received support from Langford’s Emergency Support Services. The building’s other residents were able to return to their homes.
Aubrey said the cause of the fire was determined to be related to a cooking accident and is not considered suspicious.
“Cooking accidents are one of the most common causes of fires, so it is always a good reminder to never leave the kitchen unsupervised when you are cooking,” said Aubrey.
READ MORE: Cat killed in Langford townhome fire Saturday evening
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