DAWSON CREEK – Firefighters had to rescue a man from a burning home in Dawson Creek after the man had allegedly set the residence on fire in an attempt to end his life.

 RCMP responded to a domestic dispute at the residence on 12 Street and 105 Avenue, adjacent to the O’Brien building property, at about 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 26. Police arrived and spoke to a woman who said she had been assaulted by her common-law husband before fleeing the residence. The male suspect remained in the house, and shortly after, police noticed thick smoke rising from the residence.

 The fire department responded, but the man remained in the house, conscious and communicating with firefighters through a second story window as the flames continued to spread through the home. After about 30 minutes of failed negotiations between the man and first responders, firefighters had no choice but to enter the residence, subdue the man and remove him from the house. He was then taken to hospital for treatment.

 Fire chief Gordon Smith said the age of the building, which had wood siding and sawdust insulation in the roof, made putting out the fire difficult. He added a gas line had also ruptured, forcing firefighters back while the gas company was called in to deal with the leak. He said the roof continued to burn, and heavy equipment was used to collapse the roof in order to contain the fire. He said the fire was finally put out at about 3:30 p.m.

 The chief had just reported to city council the day before the blaze that structural fires in the city were down significantly in 2009, to just 11 incidents compared to between 20 and 24 in previous years. He added it is normal in the span of five or 10 years to see peaks or valleys in the number of calls received.

 While this fire was allegedly started intentionally, Smith said there are circumstances the public should be aware of to avoid accidental house fires. He said residents should ensure woodstoves are cleaned and maintained, barbeques are not used indoors, and candles are not left unintended. 

“Candles are the big cause of a lot of fires,” said Smith. “You should never use a candle unless it’s being attended by an adult.”