2560 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Wow!

[Jackerbie]

No weapons found, one person apprehended under Mental Health Act. Full statement from Saanich PD: http://www.saanichpo...on-with-firearm

[mbjj]

Was walking towards Dallas Road this afternoon when firetrucks passed us. Quite the brush fire on the embankment across from the flagpole. Pretty well out by the time we arrived but we were talking to a lady who had been there from the start and said a lady who had been on the beach had thrown a cigarette butt into the bushes. In her words, the lady was "out of it" and appeared to be on something. She was screaming and dunking her purse in the sea, then trying to throw it into the fire. Seems that it is already quite dry down there. Not sure how the firetruck actually got close with all the fencing from the new sewage works blocking the way.

[DustMagnet]

^ Article on aforementioned fire: https://www.vicnews....-victoria-fire/

[RFS]

Apartment fire on craigflower right now. Looks serious. Many fire trucks there

From Facebook group:

843 Craigflower Road, Structure fire with possibility of person trapped on balcony of 4th floor - balcony now on fire. Esquimalt, CFB Esquimalt, View Royal & Victoria Fire have been dispatched. Multiple calls of thick black smoke.

Upgraded to 4 Alarm Fire.

Time out: 3:56pm

Edited by RFS, 07 April 2019 - 03:12 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

More

Firefighters have now largely put out a blaze at an apartment on Craigflower in Esquimalt. They aren't confirming yet, but say it's "highly likely" one person died in the fire. @CTVNewsVI

 

 

 

 

CHEK News‏Verified account @CHEK_News 2m2 minutes ago

More

UPDATE: One person is missing and others were evacuated after an apartment fire in Esquimalt on the 800-block of Craigflower Road Sunday afternoon. Officials cannot confirm but believe someone, possibly the woman, has died.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2019 - 05:17 PM.

[RFS]

Hope everyone involved had tenants insurance

[AllseeingEye]

We're in the Selkirk neighborhood so this was just a couple of blocks south of us; I smelled the thick acrid smoke long before I heard the sirens, of which there were many. Selkirk is normally a quiet street but lots of traffic diverted down here to avoid the emergency vehicles. So much so I bailed on the gardening and headed inside. Hope they're wrong about someone not making it. Lots of single parents and kids in those older Craigflower apartments 

[Victoria Watcher]

Hope everyone involved had tenants insurance

no to stereotype here. but did you see the building. it’s one of the last where you’d expect lots of tenants to have insurance.

[Victoria Watcher]

a pretty good sized building. it looks like none of it will be fit for occupancy for some time. i think we’ll be hearing some stories of struggling homeless tenants for a few days.

[Victoria Watcher]

a pretty good sized building. it looks like none of it will be fit for occupancy for some time. i think we’ll be hearing some stories of struggling homeless tenants for a few days.

 

[Victoria Watcher]

man next door took to his roof to fire-proof his home with the garden hose:

 

https://www.sookenew...d-in-esquimalt/

 

 

at least i think that's a civilian.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2019 - 06:06 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

there is at least 44 suites in that building.  emergency social services will take care of them for 2 or 3 nights in local hotels. then it's going to be difficult.

[Victoria Watcher]

oh no.

 

https://www.timescol...fire-1.23783705

 

 

Robert Blanchet, who happened to be driving along Craigflower when he spotting smoke billowing from the apartment, confirmed Woods’ version of events.

 

 

“I immediately called 911 and another guy on the street was calling them,” he said. “I got through then and gave them as much information as a I could.”

 

Blanchet said he could see a woman on the balcony and a group of people below trying to coax the woman to jump into a blanket.

 

“But she was too afraid to jump,” he said. “It’s almost 40 feet.”

 

Jancowski, the Esquimalt fire chief, praised the bystanders who tried to rescue the woman.

 

“Anytime you have civilians trying to help civilians in grave situations like this, it’s to be applauded,” he said. “Their actions to try to coax her, to help her and assist her in a time of need is greatly appreciated.”

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2019 - 07:03 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Woods said a number of motorists and people from the neighborhood grabbed a blanket and were encouraging the elderly woman to jump.

 

 

“You could see that the flames were starting to come out the windows, but unfortunately — and I’m not sure whether she would have survived the jump or not — she couldn’t bring herself,” he said. “She was looking over the balcony, but she couldn’t bring herself to jump.”

 

A short time later, the windows burst and flames were shooting out onto the balcony, he said.

 

“I mean, I give a lot of credit to those folks who were trying to help her. There were probably 10 guys that had this blanket and they were trying to get her to come out the window and come over the balcony.

 

“I’m doubtful whether that would have really helped her, but they really risked their own safety to try to help her. At the end of the day they couldn’t convince her to make the leap.”

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 07 April 2019 - 07:05 PM.

[sdwright.vic]

there is at least 44 suites in that building. emergency social services will take care of them for 2 or 3 nights in local hotels. then it's going to be difficult.

This being the reason I don't understand why people don't have renters insurance.

For $22 a month, my insurance would have me housed in a hotel for 90 days.

[Victoria Watcher]

well as you know  lower income people are the least likely to buy it.  

[lanforod]

Probably a discussion that should be split off to a different thread. It is important though; I don't know if its legal for a landlord to require tenants insurance, but I've seen that in listings before.

Folks don't realize how much it costs to replace all your stuff too. Should be for at least 20k in contents value, IMO, more if you've got expensive jewelry or equipment of some sort (cameras, audiophile etc.).

 

That said, for folks with financial challenges, I understand why insurance is one of the first things to get cut. 22/mo sounds cheap, but everything adds up, and people see more value in their 100/mo cable package...

[Victoria Watcher]

Probably a discussion that should be split off to a different thread. It is important though; I don't know if its legal for a landlord to require tenants insurance, but I've seen that in listings before.

 

it's a pretty standard requirement in newer corporate-run buildings. of course they do not care much about your belongings they just want to protect their own insurance risk/premiums when you start a fire/flood.  they want to be able to collect from your insurance not theirs. in the grand scheme of things it's probably an awfully inefficient way to insure a building.  ie. 145 individual insurance policies for an $8 million building.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 April 2019 - 07:57 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

That said, for folks with financial challenges, I understand why insurance is one of the first things to get cut. 22/mo sounds cheap, but everything adds up, and people see more value in their 100/mo cable package...

 

well on average or in the aggregate every insurance plan is a money-losing proposition for the consumer.  ie. the insurance company takes in much more in premiums than they ever pay out.  some tenants although unwittingly or unconsciously decide to "self insure".