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Hero hailed at Maple Pool trailer fire

Residents of Maple Pool Campground and RV Site in Courtenay are hailing one of their neighbours a hero following a trailer fire Thursday morning which sent one man to hospital with burns to his hands and feet.
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Courtenay firefighters extinguish a fire in a trailer at Maple Pool Campground and RV site early Thursday morning. PHOTO SUBMITTED

Residents of Maple Pool Campground and RV Site in Courtenay are hailing one of their neighbours a hero following a trailer fire Thursday morning which sent one man to hospital with burns to his hands and feet.

A fire broke out in one of the trailers at the campsite just before 9 a.m., which is operated as a low-rent, Community Living Project.

Courtenay Fire deputy chief Kurt MacDonald said there is no indication as to how the fire started but noted, “there’s quite a bit of contents in the trailer for its size … it’s completely written off.”

Neighbour Anthony Jarman, who lives in the trailer adjacent to where the fire broke out, explained if it wasn’t for the help of his neighbour banging on his window, he may not have awoken.

“I woke up to Greg (his neighbour) screaming, Ron punching out the window and dragging Greg out the window so that he would be saved,” said Jarman.

“(He came) over to my trailer and (was) pounding on the door and letting me know about the fire right away. He was getting on the hose and hosing down the trailer as well as my trailer to keep my trailer safe as well as to get the fire out. I would have to say Ron’s a hero today because he saved my life, my old lady’s life and Greg’s life all in one shot.”

Ron, who did not want his last name used, explained he saw smoke emerging from the trailer and instantly grabbed his fire extinguisher.

“There was no way you could get through the door - it was on fire. So I ran around to the other side where the slide-out is. Greg was trying to get out the window, but he couldn’t, so I jumped up and smashed the window with my fist and I grabbed him by the hair and the ass and I pulled him out through the window.

“As soon as I smashed the window, all the air got to it and it just went ‘boom.’ ”

He then grabbed a garden hose and began hosing down both the trailer on fire and Jarman’s trailer.

Despite Ron brushing off his rescue, Jarman said he understands he doesn’t want the attention.

“When you’re that good of a nature, it just doesn’t matter. We all look after each other as much as we can; we take care of each other in the park … It’s a small community, but it’s no different then any other community - we all watch each other’s backs. We look out for each other and we help each other when we can.”



Erin Haluschak

About the Author: Erin Haluschak

Erin Haluschak is a journalist with the Comox Valley Record since 2008. She is also the editor of Trio Magazine...
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