A Hilliers woman is lucky to be alive after she was rescued from a burning mobile home by her neighbours.
On Monday (Feb. 26) Stacy Duchscherer and his wife Kim Duchscherer stopped by to check on their home, which was being renovated, when he saw thick smoke coming from his neighbour含羞草研究社檚 residence.
At first he thought someone might be burning garbage in their backyard, but soon realized the smoke was coming from his elderly neighbour含羞草研究社檚 home.
含羞草研究社淢y wife ran to the front door and I went to the back porch and I climbed in, up the stairs and I looked in,含羞草研究社� said Duchscherer, who was glad he happened to be wearing his prosthetic leg that day, as he spends most of his time in a wheelchair. 含羞草研究社淵ou could hardly see there含羞草研究社檚 so much smoke. I yelled 含羞草研究社榟ello!含羞草研究社� and I didn含羞草研究社檛 hear anything. I walked further in, but you couldn含羞草研究社檛 see because it was black. There was smoke everywhere. I couldn含羞草研究社檛 breathe.含羞草研究社�
He yelled again and this time he heard a little voice call back to him. Duchscherer could make out a small figure walking through the smoke.
The woman, her face blackened by smoke, asked Duchscherer to help her put out the fire.
含羞草研究社淎nd I said, 含羞草研究社榥o, no we have to get out, you can含羞草研究社檛 go back in,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 he said. 含羞草研究社淪he started back in, to what I later learned was her bedroom, but you couldn含羞草研究社檛 see it was so black.含羞草研究社�
Duchscherer had to step back outside onto the porch to grab a deep breath. Holding his breath, he went back inside, unable to see past his nose because of the thick smoke.
He found his neighbour still attempting to put out the fire amid the confusion. Duchscherer put his arm around her and guided her out of the trailer, aided by the sound of his wife含羞草研究社檚 voice at the front door.
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Duchscherer checked the trailer to make sure no one else was inside. Worried about gas lines, he left, then called 911 and sat down with Kim and the neighbour.
含羞草研究社淗er face was burned, her hair was all singed,含羞草研究社� Duchscherer said.
One person was transported to hospital, according to Fire Chief Ron Schildroth, of the Coombs-Hilliers Volunteer Fire Department.
Duchscherer is just glad he was there to help and said he doesn含羞草研究社檛 think his neighbour would have survived more than a few minutes longer in the burning trailer.
含羞草研究社淚t was pure luck we were there at that time. And it含羞草研究社檚 weird because you always wonder what you would do,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e didn含羞草研究社檛 even think, we just bolted. My wife went in the front and I went in the back.含羞草研究社�
He and his wife had stopped by on a whim to check out the home that day.
含羞草研究社淲e weren含羞草研究社檛 even going to be there,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e just at the last minute thought, 含羞草研究社榣et含羞草研究社檚 go to the house含羞草研究社�. Because it含羞草研究社檚 supposed to be finished this week.含羞草研究社�
The smoke inhalation gave both Duchscherer and his wife headaches, even the day after the fire, plus sore throats and tight chests.
He is concerned for his neighbours, who are both elderly and now have lost their home.
含羞草研究社淭heir lives are going to be in turmoil,含羞草研究社� Duchscherer wrote in a follow-up email to the PQB News. 含羞草研究社淎nd that含羞草研究社檚 sad, because they are both in their later years, and are both unable to walk, lift or move things. Happiness for sure as they are both alive, but sad because they含羞草研究社檝e lost everything.含羞草研究社�
The fire department was paged out at approximately 10:45 a.m. and within the hour the fire was out and crews were clearing the scene, Schildroth added.
CHVFD was assisted by the Errington, Qualicum Beach, Dashwood and Parksville departments.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Schildroth.
