Three people inside a home on Departure Bay Rd. escaped an early morning fire. (submitted/ Megan Hope)

By NanaimoNewsNOW

blaze

Early morning fire rips through Departure Bay Rd. home

May 4, 2021 | 8:10 AM

NANAIMO — Three people managed to escape a home on Departure Bay Rd. before it was engulfed in flame.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue was called around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4 to a home in the 3100 block of Departure Bay Rd.

Alan Millbank, chief fire prevention officer, told NanaimoNewsNOW on scene the three people living inside were unhurt. The owner lived upstairs while two tenants lived on the main floor.

The home itself backs onto Woodstream Park.

Angus Weller was walking his dog in the area, on his way to snap a sunrise photo when he saw a huge plume of smoke.

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“There were three explosions, quite large explosions. Some of the people I was talking to at 6 a.m. said they were actually woken up by some of the explosions. I saw huge flames coming out of the back of the house. It’s damaged here now but it was really in a big ball of fire out the back.”

Damage to the home was extensive and the roof collapsed into two parts. The smell of smoke extended throughout the Departure Bay neighbourhood.

The home on Departure Bay Rd. was entirely gutted by the fire. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

The fire caused major traffic disruptions as numerous Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews occupied Departure Bay Rd. near the home.

The road was closed during the morning hours between Green Leaf Pl. and Hammond Bay Rd. due to the cleanup effort and fire investigation.

A Nanaimo RCMP officer was also on scene.

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