Blaine Gillam says his daughter Courtney calls him for everything.
Shortly before 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, it was a panic-stricken call from her that roused the Corner Brook father.
Gillam said Courtney called him to tell her dad she and her boyfriend were out on the roof of their home on Country Road because the house was full of smoke and they couldn’t get out safely.
She had called him before dialing 911, so Gillam himself immediately made the emergency call for help and made his way to the scene.
“She was in shock and she still is,” said Gillam. “So am I.”
Gillam arrived before the fire department did and saw Courtney, her boyfriend and their two pet dogs stranded on the roof at the back of the house.
Gillam knew there were two people living in a downstairs apartment and repeatedly banged on the door to arouse them. He could not get an answer.
“I wanted to beat the door down myself, but I knew it was better not to do that,” he said, fearing doing so might intensify any fire on the inside of the building.
The fire department showed up quickly afterwards and went about getting the couple and their dogs from the roof and entering the building to evacuate the two others from the apartment below.
Courtney and her partner were transported to Western Memorial Regional Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Courtney was still too shaken by the ordeal to do an interview Tuesday. Gillam said her boyfriend was still being treated in hospital Tuesday afternoon.
“I couldn’t see the fire, but there was a lot of smoke,” said Gillam.
Deputy Chief Craig Harnum of the Corner Brook Fire Department said the cause of the fire was still under investigation, but said some early reports of it being a chimney fire were erroneous.
“This was certainly no chimney fire,” said the deputy chief.
Harnum confirmed there was extensive fire damage to one room in the house and smoke and water damage throughout the structure.
The investigation into the cause of the fire was turned over to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The police force had its fire investigator at the scene throughout the day but no cause had been disclosed publicly as of deadline Tuesday.
