Firefighters said it could have beencaused by candles, incense or somethingsimilar. Neighbour Austin Hudson toldCTV news that she went to high schoolwith the daughter of the woman runningthe daycare, and described the roomwhere the fire broke out as a ‘prayerroom’. “It was filled with sacred knives,silk sheets along the walls and stuff. Verybeautiful home,” Hudson said.
SURREY – One person is dead andanother seven are injured – including atoddler — following a devastating fire at ahome used as a daycare in Surrey, B.C.Eight people were inside the residenceon 146A St. when flames broke outaround 3:30 a.m. Thursday. The home isbelieved to belong to a Punjabi-Canadianfamily.RCMP say an elderly woman was founddead inside the home after firefighterswere able to search after knocking downthe blaze. Among the injured is a smallchild, reported CTV news.Seven people made it out of the house,including two that were rushed to thespecialized burn unit at VancouverGeneral Hospital. Another two remain inarea hospitals. When the fire broke out,one neighbour called 911 and went outsideto help. The home doubles as alicensed day care centre, with the abilityto house eight children. The cause of thefire is still under investigation, howeverMounties say it doesn’t appear suspiciousat this point. Firefighters say there wereno working smoke detectors in the home.Neighbour Vincent Willicombe toldCTV News he woke up and saw smokebillowing out of the home.“People were jumping out the back on abox spring or mattress out there. It wasdefinitely nerve wracking,” he said.The Surrey Fire Service said a hardwiredsmoke alarm had been disconnectedupstairs and two battery-powered alarmson the ground floor weren’t working.Firefighters said it could have beencaused by candles, incense or somethingsimilar. The home doubles as a licenseddaycare centre with capacity for eightchildren. Neighbour Austin Hudsonwent to high school with the daughter ofthe woman running the daycare, anddescribed the room where the fire brokeout as a “prayer room.”“It was filled with sacred knives, silksheets along the walls and stuff. Verybeautiful home,” Hudson said.Investigators said they hadn’t spoken tothe survivors by Thursday evening due totheir injuries.
