Aftermath of a Conflagration
- kc dyer
- Oct 14
- 3 min read
Former Fire Chief reflects on devastating house fire
Yesterday's housefire that destroyed the Bayview Road home of long-time resident Morey Darvazehban began in the middle of the night.
While watching the news on television sometime in the early hours, Darvazehban heard a loud bang, and went to the window to find one wall of his house on fire.
The house was roofed and sided in cedar, and Darvazehban said that once it started burning it "just went up like a candle". Without time to even grab his phone, his car keys or even his socks, he ran outside with his dog.
He was unable to reach two cats (Goldie and Max) in the home while he desperately tried to find help in the middle of the night without the use of a phone or vehicle.
Former Lions Bay Fire Rescue (LBFR) Fire Chief Barret Germscheid picked up the story from there.
"The fire was first dispatched to LBFR at 5:04 a.m., and as our members responded to the incident some of them had to pass by the fire scene to get to the firehall, including Captain Mattie Gildenhuys. As she passed by, she had the opportunity to speak with the homeowner and ascertain that all residents and one dog were out of the structure.
"Captain Gildenhuys then returned to the scene on the first fire engine and established herself as "Incident Command". She deployed 17 members of LBFR as well as two West Vancouver Fire Rescue (WVFR) engine companies to attack the fire, using the strategies and tactics necessary to prevent further fire spread into the wildland interface and nearby homes.
The fire was fully developed on arrival and the incident took multiple resources from the Village of Lions Bay and WVFR."
Germscheid offered thanks to Emergency Program Coordinator Mary Brown and Emergency Social Services Manager Roel Coert for the support they offered the homeowner. He also thanked Karl Buhr, Garth Begley and Aiden from Public Works for their help in ensuring LBFR had the water they needed, and West Vancouver Fire Rescue for their assistance in battling the blaze.
Germscheid said the damage to the home was so severe that an interior search was not possible, and the two cats were not located. He offered hope that the animals were able to escape the structure and will be spotted in the neighbourhood. He said that the home had to be demolished in order to extinguish the remaining hot spots that continued to flare throughout the day.
In addition to the EPC and ESS, Darvazehban was supported at the scene by neighbours, and has found safe accommodation.
"I am very proud of LB Fire Rescue Officers and members," said Germscheid, "and although the fire is regrettable, our crew's fast actions limited fire spread. The house of origin is gone but keeping the fire from spreading out of control into the interface saved at least four or five homes in the immediate vicinity."
Germscheid lauded Jay Gildenhuys for his fast action in notifying neighbours of the danger. "It's actions like this that keep our community safer," he said. "Jay is worthy of all the praise we can give him as well."
About 75% of the LBFR membership is made up of young firefighters who are pursuing careers in the fire service. In order to work here, these firefighters move to the Village in order to volunteer with LBFR to gain experience and training while serving our community.
Germscheid noted that of the eight West Vancouver Fire Rescue members who attended yesterday, three of them (including one Captain and two firefighters) are LBFR alumni members who got their start serving in Lions Bay.
LBFR are always on the look-out for residents willing to open their homes to these valuable volunteers. As a bonus, secondary suites in the Village that are rented to firefighters are not subject to paying the additional utility costs that normally accompany letting out a suite in Lions Bay.
Donations to LBFR can be made HERE.
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Grateful beyond words to everyone involved.
A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who were involved in all the various aspects of dealing with what occurred yesterday. For those other homes close to the fire, we are so thankful that the fire was controlled and there were no other losses. Those of us “up hill” of the fire were quickly brought to the realization of what could have occured yesterday if the conditions were that of hot summer weather, drought conditions and some incoming wind. We all need to be prepared and follow the education and materials made available to residents by the EPC and ESS.
All three of the firefighters who live with us attended yesterday's emergency and one from the West Van contingent who attended was also a resident here last year. I cannot stress enough just how important and necessary it is to help/rent to and mentor these brave and courageous young men and women who come here to learn and gain experience. We depend on them and as a community we need to ensure we support them. There was a lot to be grateful for yesterday.
Great reportage of this incident: Reassuring to learn everyone involved pulled together, extinguished the fire, and ensured other homes were not engulfed in the flames.... all at 5 in the morning, while the rest of us were asleep.
All those involved are due our undying gratitude, and we are extremely lucky to have such people as part of our village!