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Fire Fighter Kirk Corby (center) presents representatives of the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund with a cheque for $5000.00 in order to support the 2009 Burn Camp program. This program sends burn survivors between the age of six and eighteen years to a week long camp every July. For more information on the camp please visit their website.

This is just one of many donations the Victoria Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation has made within the community in the past few months. For more information on the Foundation, please visit their page.

The Victoria Fire Department communications room received five 911 calls reporting a structure fire just after 5:00pm on August 27, 2009. Three engines, one ladder, one rescue, and one command vehicle responded to the incident, and on arrival found heavy smoke showing from a second floor suite on the View Street side of the building. As this was a high rise building, which presents challenges for fire fighter, mutual aid was also requested from Saanich and Oak Bay Fire Departments.

The fire was found to be in suite #206, and crews utilized the standpipe system and hooked a high rise pack into the hose cabinet on the 2nd floor. Two hose lines were set up, one from the hallway inside the building, and another exterior to it. The fire was found to be in the bedroom and bathroom door area. As the fire was knocked down quickly, Saanich and Oak Bay response was stood down.

There was one person treated for smoke inhalation from this fire, which is still under investigation. The total dollar loss is estimated at approximately $30,000.00. Please visit the gallery for more photos.

On July 17, 2009 at 10:05am four 911 calls were received at Victoria Fire Department reporting a house fire at 2537 Cook Street. Two engines, a ladder truck, a rescue vehicle and the command vehicle were immediately dispatched to the scene, and crews reported being able to see the smoke from five blocks away.

On arrival, crews found heavy smoke and flames venting from both a door and a window on the ground level of the structure. A third engine was dispatched at this time, and other municipalities were put on standby for any mutual aid requests. Crews performed an initial hose line attack from the exterior of the building, knocking the flames down, while other crew members performed primary searches of the residence, looking for any occupants.

No persons were found within the residence, however Fire Fighters did recover two cats that were treated for smoke and released to the SPCA. Crews remained on scene for just over four hours, ensuring that all the hot spots were extinguished and the smoke was cleared from the building.

There were no other injuries on scene, and the cause of the fire was determined to be a deliberate act. Damage to the structure is estimated at approximately $185,000.00.

Photo courtesy of the Times Colonist.