“dune 18, 1986, - News 985-2131 Cl

sive care unit of Vancouver General Hospital Monday, suf. he Said.
fering. from: third-degree burns to approximately 75 per cent

or

ing réleased by local RCMP or, ‘the:

De orth . Vancouver, Cit: yo Fire

incident,
m the rented duplex,
located : at “365. East

phates:

4th Stress

“moved here from Kelowna ‘about
_ four months ago.

“NEIGHBOR ACERTED

Barkley’. ran to ‘aid “the family |
when" ‘he was alerted to the fire,

zed by his. father.

- blowing out,’ : 7
The boy: was burnt really bad;
but he wasn’t even crying. He was”
in total shock, apologizing because . -
din time. to see ihe boy’. hewas. supposed to get off the

“The father was just going in (to
the boy's' room) when I- got‘ there.

‘His room was right-in, the furnace».
room. They had converted it into’

his bédroom.

‘His father brought him. outside:

and. laid him in. the backyard,
because he’ was worried the house

was going to ‘blow again. By this.

time a few of the windows. were
’ he'said. "

phone before all this’ happened. "
‘Barkley said he™ kne

‘the “explosion,

the: boy, ‘

a Le

was on, the’ telephone at the time of *
because . he had"
earlier heard the: boy’s: mother ask
her son to get off the.phone. ‘

REPORT. INCORRE CT

“Inspector David Burgess, af the
‘North.. “Vancouver ;
Department,” “said. initial

were incorrect. He-said- “the” fire

department is investigatitig another.
cause," and until. it, is agin nak

cannot release details.

Burgess said the boy was listed
in‘serious ‘condition Tuesday: mor-
ning,’ with damage

Passage, noting this would have:":

City ‘Fire :
reports .
citing a malfunctioning gas furnace,

“been: ‘caused ‘by ‘smoke inhalation.
An’ ambulance from Lions Gate
Hospital was the: first to arrive on;

‘the scene,’'shortly after neighbors’
called'for help. : j

Burgess’ said ° ‘an ambulance at-"
tendant: grabb da. garden hose,
used earlier: -by, Barkley: to combat.:
the fire, and’ doused the boy, with
water, to cool him off. gS

‘Barkley said the smoke: was - so:
thick in'the:boy’s room that he laid =
the firehose : outside its door: and

turned ‘the’ tap on.»

He said he then went ‘into th
house and closed ° all: ‘the: ‘windows
and ‘vents in’ an attempt ° to “su

- focate the fire, ‘and ‘checked to en-"-

sure all the occupants had escaped.