Skip to content

UPDATE: Propane leak caused motor home fire at EJ Dunn

The elementary school sustained only minor damage,according to the Port Alberni Fire Department.
57065alberniDSC_3574-web
A fire broke in a motor home parked at E.J. Dunn Elementary School.

UPDATE: Port Alberni Fire Department Deputy Chief Wes Patterson said that a propane leak was the cause of the motor home fire at EJ Dunn Elementary on Wednesday (May 4). One man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

A fire that broke out in a motor home parked at E.J. Dunn Elementary School just before 7 p.m. today (May 5) caused only minor smoke and water damage to the school building itself. E.J. Dunn will be open tomorrow (May 5).

"It started at the motor home and spread to another car," said Port Alberni Fire Department Deputy Chief Wes Patterson. Three Port Alberni trucks and one Beaver Creek Volunteer Fire Department truck responded to the blaze, along with one RCMP car and an ambulance.

"There's water damage from the sprinkler that's gone off and a little smoke damage inside and then the front entrance doors [are damaged] but all in all it was very lucky. The building and the controls and the sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do which limited the spread of the fire. Structurally the school is fine."

Patterson said that the motor home belonged to one of the workers at the school but that the cause of the fire is yet to be determined. One person was taken to West Coast General Hospital as a result of the blaze, he added.

"One person was taken to the hospital but not necessarily by B.C. Ambulance. I don't know the extent of his injuries at this point."

The school remained largely unharmed, although firefighters removed some panelling off the front of the building to ensure that sparks didn’t grow into hot spots and active fire, said Patterson.

“There’s water damage from the sprinkler that’s gone off and a little smoke damage inside and then the front entrance doors [are damaged] but all in all it was very lucky. The building and the controls and the sprinkler system did what it was supposed to do which limited the spread of the fire. Structurally the school is fine.”

A car parked beside the motor home was destroyed by the fire.

In a letter to students, school officials stated that while there would be no disruption to the school schedule, traffic patterns and office operations would be altered due to the fire.

The front parking lot will remain closed until the damage to the school can be repaired and the office will be moved to room 706. A back parking lot is available off of 18th Avenue.

 

reporter@albernivalleynews.com

facebook.com/albernivalleynews

twitter.com/alberninews