Chilliwack fire crews responded to two outdoor fires Tuesday night, the second of which caused a woman to suffer serious burns.
The first fire was reported around 11:40 p.m. at a homeless camp off Rowat Avenue near the railroad tracks.
Crews were able to quickly contain the fire, but had to use extreme caution as small propane cylinders and aerosol canisters were exploding from the heat.
No one was injured in the first fire and no nearby structures were damaged.
Three hours later, around 2:50 a.m., fire crews responded to reports of a second fire, this one in the 9300 block of Williams Street.
When crews arrived, they found some personal belongings burning up against the Cross Connection Church, including a tent.
The fire was quickly extinguished and the fire was prevented from spreading into the building, but a woman was seriously burned. She was airlifted to hospital.
The cause of the fires are under investigation, but are believed to be accidental.
Bill Raddatz from the homeless support non-profit Ruth & Naomi’s Mission says his organization is reaching out to help.
“We want to know who she is, how it happened and if we can help,” he said, adding his outreach worker will visit the woman in hospital.
Raddatz says the Cross Connection Church did not have a shelter operating there, adding Ruth & Naomi’s Mission would have taken her in if she’d walked another block from the church.
—With files from Jeremy Lye
Comments