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Courtenay firefighters respond to balcony fire at Washington Inn Apartments

Firefighters were called out to the Washington Inn Apartments Sunday, April 17, to tend to a balcony fire.
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A second-floor balcony continues to smoulder after a fire extinguisher was used to get a small balcony fire under control at the Washington Inn Apartments. Brian Hayward, who lives on the third floor, was alerted to the fire by the smell of smoke wafting into his apartment. Photo by Brian Hayward.

Firefighters were called out to the Washington Inn Apartments Sunday, April 17, to tend to a balcony fire.

Brian Haward, who lives on the third floor of the Washington Inn Apartments, was the first to spot the fire on a second-floor balcony.

“I smelled smoke but at first I thought it might be the construction workers out front, the roofers,” he said. “But (the smell) went away, then I started smelling plastic, so I went outside… I looked out back and I saw the fire was two feet high, against the wall, burning against the Hardie board, so that’s when I yelled ‘fire, fire, fire.’ Somebody from the third floor then pulled the alarm.”

Unconfirmed reports say the fire was started by an improperly discarded cigarette.

The Record has reached out to the Courtenay Fire Department for comment.

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terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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Terry Farrell

About the Author: Terry Farrell

Terry returned to Black Press in 2014, after seven years at a daily publication in Alberta. He brings 14 years of editorial experience to Comox Valley Record...
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