A North Vancouver family’s “dream home” became more of a nightmare Tuesday after it was dealt heavy damage by a fire.
Just after 11 p.m. a neighbour called the North Vancouver City Fire Department to the 200-block of West 22nd Street after smoke was noticed coming from the property. Much of the main floor was engulfed in flames when fire crews got there.
“Pretty devastating, obviously this is their neighbourhood, their home,” said deputy fire chief Bob Schreiner of the department. “As it turned out, this home was just about ready for move-in. It was pretty much at the finished carpentry stage.”
According to Schreiner, the family who owns the property has lived on the site for 15 years and was staying elsewhere while construction was completed. “This was kind of the fruition of their dream home,” he said.
Schreiner said, however, that salvaging the home could be a possibility as much of the structural framework remains intact.
North Vancouver RCMP arrested a 16-year-old male shortly after the fire was called in. Witnesses reported seeing many people, believed to be teenagers, fleeing the area after the fire started.
“It’s still under investigation as to the cause of the fire,” said Cpl. Richard De Jong of the North Vancouver RCMP. “We’re working closely with fire investigators of both the fire department and (RCMP) Economic Crimes.”
The youth has since been released from custody and the house fire remains under investigation.
“We’re putting everything together as far as the amount of kids, why they were in the area, what caused the fire,” said De Jong. “These are the early stages of the investigation.”
The police are asking for information or witnesses in the area to contact Const. Eric Lam of the North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311.
