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Family escapes, home destroyed in Coquitlam house fire

Click to play video: 'Coquitlam family escapes overnight inferno'
Coquitlam family escapes overnight inferno
A Coquitlam family survived an overnight house fire on Guilby Street early Thursday morning – Jan 4, 2018

A roaring fire gutted a home in Coquitlam overnight.

The family that lives in the home on Grayson Avenue was able to escape with their dog. However, one cat died in the fire and a second cat is still missing.

Crews arrived on scene at 12:30 a.m. Thursday and found flames shooting out of the back of the house.

The fire was burning so hot firefighters determined it was too dangerous to go inside.

“When these fires get into the attic spaces and they start compromising the roof structures and firefighters have to back out of the structure, it becomes a defensive, keeping your firefighters safe and the guys want to get in there and do their job and get that thing out, but sometimes you have to be methodical and take it slowly,” said Asst. Fire Chief Gary Mulligan with Coquitlam Fire Rescue.

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There is also some damage to the duplex next door to the home.

In total, nine people are displaced due to the fire and it could be some time before they can go home.

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Fire investigators will be trying to determine how the fire started but it’s believed it began in the carport.

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