WATCH: A remarkable and special story of survival from Monday’s huge condo fire in Coquitlam. Nadia Stewart reports.
One of the victims of the condo fire in Coquitlam earlier this week is crediting his dog for saving his life.
Gerry Derksen’s condo was right below the unit where the fire started.
READ MORE: Two-alarm fire in Coquitlam apartment complex; 100 evacuated
Derksen says his dog Siva alerted him to the fire with her persistent barking.
“When I went outside to look, I saw flames and embers falling down on top of my patio,” says Derksen. “I did not know where the fire was.”
Even though Derksen is confined to a wheelchair, the two of them managed to get out with the help of a few friends.
He says he lost everything he owned, only managing to grab a jacket and a few pictures.
But he says if it was not for Siva, he would not be alive today.
Derksen does not have fire insurance.
READ MORE: Community rallies around victims of Coquitlam condo fire
“At this point I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I’ve got no place to live at the moment,” he says.
Family and friends have offered some help, but there’s still lots of gaps to be filled.
“Nobody’s allowed into the building, so I don’t know if there’s anything left. I don’t think there is… They said it could be a year until the place is rebuilt and I can get back into my own place,” says Derksen.
More than 100 people have been displaced by the blaze on Glen Drive Monday night. Investigators are still trying to determine what sparked the fire.
WATCH: The community is rallying around the victims of Monday’s condo fire in Coquitlam. Catherine Urquhart reports on what you can do to help.
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