A man has been transferred to hospital in Nanaimo following a fire in a cargo trailer in Courtenay Thursday (Dec.9) morning.
Courtenay Fire Chief Kurt MacDonald said the Courtenay Fire Department was called to a parking lot on Puntledge Road shortly after 8 a.m. near the Return-It Depot.
He explained someone was living in the trailer and staying warm by lighting a fire in an old wood stove that did not have a chimney. While there were not many combustibles in the trailer, the man suffered from smoke inhalation and was unconscious but breathing by the time firefighters arrived on scene.
Around the same time, firefighters were also called to a fire behind Courtenay City Hall. MacDonald noted there have been ongoing fires at that location lit by people trying to keep warm and some of their social activities.
This week, fire departments across the Valley have been kept busy with rapidly changing weather and road conditions. The department assisted with traffic control on Wednesday (Dec.8) following a motor vehicle incident involving a truck that hit a power pole on Ryan Road.
MacDonald advised drivers to pay extra caution to road conditions as the winter temperature fluctuates and conditions can change quickly.
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