Residents of Maple Pool Campground and RV Site in Courtenay are hailing one of their neighbours a hero following a trailer fire Thursday morning which sent one man to hospital with burns to his hands and feet.
A fire broke out in one of the trailers at the campsite just before 9 a.m., which is operated as a low-rent, Community Living Project.
Courtenay Fire deputy chief Kurt MacDonald said there is no indication as to how the fire started but noted, 鈥渢here鈥檚 quite a bit of contents in the trailer for its size 鈥� it鈥檚 completely written off.鈥�
Neighbour Anthony Jarman, who lives in the trailer adjacent to where the fire broke out, explained if it wasn鈥檛 for the help of his neighbour banging on his window, he may not have awoken.
鈥淚 woke up to Greg (his neighbour) screaming, Ron punching out the window and dragging Greg out the window so that he would be saved,鈥� said Jarman.
鈥�(He came) over to my trailer and (was) pounding on the door and letting me know about the fire right away. He was getting on the hose and hosing down the trailer as well as my trailer to keep my trailer safe as well as to get the fire out. I would have to say Ron鈥檚 a hero today because he saved my life, my old lady鈥檚 life and Greg鈥檚 life all in one shot.鈥�
Ron, who did not want his last name used, explained he saw smoke emerging from the trailer and instantly grabbed his fire extinguisher.
鈥淭here was no way you could get through the door - it was on fire. So I ran around to the other side where the slide-out is. Greg was trying to get out the window, but he couldn鈥檛, so I jumped up and smashed the window with my fist and I grabbed him by the hair and the ass and I pulled him out through the window.
鈥淎s soon as I smashed the window, all the air got to it and it just went 鈥榖oom.鈥� 鈥�
He then grabbed a garden hose and began hosing down both the trailer on fire and Jarman鈥檚 trailer.
Despite Ron brushing off his rescue, Jarman said he understands he doesn鈥檛 want the attention.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e that good of a nature, it just doesn鈥檛 matter. We all look after each other as much as we can; we take care of each other in the park 鈥� It鈥檚 a small community, but it鈥檚 no different then any other community - we all watch each other鈥檚 backs. We look out for each other and we help each other when we can.鈥�
