Family loses everything in house fire

A Vancouver family lost everything early on the morning of June 7, when a fast-moving fire ripped through their rental home.

“What wasn’t in ashes is damaged by toxic smoke,” said Melissa Chinn in an email.

Vancouver firefighters were dispatched to 13016 N.E. 34th Street about 2:38 a.m. for the report of a residential structure fire.

Chinn lived in the Image neighborhood home with her boyfriend Patrick Curtis and his 9-year-old son.

Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said the blaze originated on the exterior of the garage and extended to the attic. The rest of the home suffered heavy smoke damage, she said.

Patrick Curtis’ face was injured by intense heat, and his son had a small burn on his ear. Both of them sought medical treatment the day after the fire, according to Scarpelli.

The fire marshal calculated the monetary damage of the home and its contents around $132,000.

“The fire cause is listed undetermined; with two possible causes being decomposition of grass clippings or discarded smoking materials,” Scarpelli said.

Chinn expressed gratitude that her family made it out together safely.

“It was a very close call,” she said. “It happened at 2 a.m. and we were all in bed sleeping.”

Chinn said she woke up about an hour earlier to a “weird, plastic-y smoke smell.” She thought it was coming from outside, so she closed the window and laid back down. An hour later, she woke up again due to the smell getting worse, so much so it was making her cough.

“My dog came into the bedroom, which is unusual for him and wouldn’t lay back down. I woke Patrick up and we checked around,” Chinn said.

It wasn’t until the couple stepped outside that they saw smoke billow out from the garage door. Curtis went inside to enter the garage, and when he opened the door thick, hot smoke and flames could be seen.

The family quickly evacuated the home. Curtis grabbed his sleeping son out of bed.

“In the seconds it took him to follow me out the smoke got so hot it burned his and his son’s face,” Chinn said.

Firefighters were able to grab Chinn’s purse and Curtis’ wallet, as well as a pair of men’s pants. Curtis had ran out of the home in his underwear. Chinn said she had to empty her purse and throw it out, however.

The rest of their belongings are gone.

Chinn’s boss has set up a donation page to help out the family.