70-year-old man dies after Cumberland fire destroys three houses

UPDATE: Dec. 11 — A 70-year-old man was confirmed dead in the Cumberland fire on Monday.

A man is missing and three houses have been destroyed after a fire ripped through a residential neighbourhood in Cumberland on Vancouver Island.

Dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze on Penrith Avenue early Saturday morning.

The fire moved so quickly that two homes were already engulfed in flames and had spread to a third house by the time crews arrived shortly after 3 a.m.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The man who lives in the house where the fire started is currently missing.

A mother and her child were able to escape from one of the homes that caught fire and no one was home at the third house.

The cause of the blaze has not been determined.