2-year-old boy dies in hospital following fire in Langley Township

A two-year-old boy has died after he was pulled from his burning home in Langley Township this morning.

Crews responded to the fire, in the 8200-block of 272 Street, and started first aid on the child.

The boy was taken to hospital by BC Ambulance, but sadly did not survive.

Everyone else who lives at the home is accounted for. It is believed there were three children and the mother home at the time the fire broke out.

The mother was able to get the first two children out, but was not able to get the young boy out.

The father tried to get into the home a few times to rescue his son, but was unable to do so.

Family friend and relative Tim Killey gave a brief statement to the media about the little boy’s death. He also tried to get into the home to reach the boy, but he was unable to. “Probably the most tragic event any family can endure,” he says. He says they still have to notify the extended family and they want their time to grieve their loss.

“I’m broken up, I stood here and watched and there was nothing I could do,” says Killey.

Township of Langley fire department assistant chief Bruce Ferguson says they first received a call at about 8:30 a.m. When they arrived they found the house fully involved.

“We originally went to multiple alarms, knowing we were out of the hydrant catchment area in the Township of Langley here,” says Ferguson. “We arrived on scene, we’ve got all of our available tankers from the Township here, we’ve got approximately 30 firefighters on scene.”

He says fighting a fire in this rural area can be more difficult as there is no water readily available and it can take longer to get set up, but they did have enough water to fight the blaze.

“Fatalities, especially child fatalities are very difficult on our crews,” says Ferguson. He has been a firefighter with the Township for 32 years and says this is only his second child fatality due to fire.

Ferguson says it looks like the home is a total loss. The cause of the fire is still to be determined.

There were no sprinklers inside the home.

NOTE: A trust fund account has been set up for the family at Westminster Savings Credit Union under Langley House Fire Trust – Account # 453953208

A second trust fund account has been set up for the family at Coast Capital Savings (in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island)

The Evangelical Free Church at 8870 Glover Road in Fort Langley is accepting donations for household items on behalf of the family (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)