Man rescued, dog killed in Champlain Heights townhouse fire
10 firefighters were needed to bring the man up from the basement and out of the house
A man is recovering in hospital after being rescued from a fire in a townhouse complex in Vancouver's Champlain Heights area.
Fire crews were called to the unit at Champlain Crescent and Blake Street just after 7 p.m. Thursday.
Officials said they were told a man was still inside the basement as the fire was spreading. They said the man's size made it a challenging rescue.
"It took us about 10 firefighters to bring the person from the basement up … and onto the stretcher," said Asst. Chief Steve Duncan. "It was quite an ordeal."
He added the man was having trouble breathing when crews handed him over to paramedics, who rushed him to the hospital.
"He's still with us in the hospital at this time, so that's good news," said Duncan.
The man had a pet dog in the house, but Duncan said firefighters were not able to save it.
"Unfortunately a dog on the main floor passed away," he said.
Fire crews contained the fire to the unit, which has extensive damage.
Officials said two other people were known to be living at the townhouse, but were not home when the fire started. The cause is under investigation.