Courtenay firefighters battled a house fire on Archery Crescent early Sunday morning that fully destroyed one side of a duplex, and badly damaged the other.
Courtenay fire chief Don Bardonnex said when firefighters first arrived on scene, the house was fully involved in flames on the first and second floors, and fire then spread into the attic.
"The fire was started inside the building; it moved up through the interior on the one side of the building up to the attic and spread to the other side," he added.
Bardonnex confirmed occupants on one side of the duplex are both volunteer firefighters and both are BC Ambulance paramedics.
The blaze, which broke out around 3 a.m., has both neighbours and Comox Valley RCMP looking at the fire as suspicious.
"Last night I was sleeping ... and I heard like some yelling and screaming and what sounded like breaking glass," said neighbour Mike White to media. "I got up to look outside and I heard somebody yelling that their dog had died, or someone had killed their dog. I came out, the place was on fire and I called 9-1-1.
"There was apparently a party here before and something about a pepper spray incident," he added.
RCMP were on scene taking statements and talking to witnesses. Their investigation is continuing.
photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com