Man overcome

AN 82-YEAR-OLD man died
while trying to escape his burn-
ing home in North Vancouver
District on Sunday night. —

By lan Noble
News Reporter

North Vancouver KCMP said
Geoff Mortimer opened the front
door of his Banbury Road home
before succumbing to heavy smoke
in the hallway.

Witnesses said they could not
reach Mortimer because of the fire’s
extreme heat, according to the
RCMP. ‘

~ Investigators determined that the
fire started with a smoldering ciga-
rette in a couch, Mortimer died as a
result of smoke inhalation.

District of North Vancouver Fire
Services. fire prevention manager
Brian Stegavig said he was told the
home did not have a smoke detector.

RCMP said -the fire started at

10:30 p.m. The two-storey house, -

located: in ‘the 2000-block of
Banbury Road, was engulfed in
flames by 10:35 p.m. Stegavig said
- the fire department received a 9-1-1
call at 10:45 p.m.

'.. The. fire department: quickly
brought the fire under control, but
Mortimer was. already dead when
‘the fire department arrived, Stegavig
> said:

._A fire officer ran up to the build-
ing after being told someone was in

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FIREMAN STEVE Atkinson operates a snorkel truck. while Al
Tutt of RCMP forensics documents the scene of the fatal fire.

the house, said Stegavig.

However, the officer’s attempt to
retrieve Mortimer’s body was
blocked by the hot fire.

Another fireman doused the area
with a hose. The ceiling then col-
lapsed, halting the retrieval attempt
until the fire was put out; said
Stegavig.

Mortimer lived alone on the top
floor.

Tenants renting the first floor of
the home were away when the fire
occurred.

While the first floor did not suf-

fer extensive fire damage, it did

receive smoke and water damage.

A smoke detector ‘could have
alerted Mortimer to the fire earlier.
Stegavig said there were indications
of prolonged heat build-up, includ-
ing smoke, before the fire was
reported.

He added he would like to sce a
bylaw making smoke detectors
mandatory in all North Vancouver
District homes.

Fire crews were at the scene for
seven hours, and appreciated the
Salvation Army food van that paid a

‘visit, said Stegavig. One fireman

injured his knee at the scene.

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