A pair of Surrey police officers had to break their way into a flaming home to save a pair of senior residents from what investigators believe was a suspicious fire early Wednesday morning.
Neighbour Danny Singh told Global News his daughter woke him up about the fire on 135 Street near 64 Avenue shortly before 2 a.m., and that he called 911.
“It was getting wild, so lucky it didn’t spread,” he said, adding that he saw a vehicle on fire in front of the home.
“It was like a big bomb, boom-boom-boom-boom.”
Two officers arrived at the home to find two vehicles fully engulfed and the front of the home burning “vigorously,” Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told Global News.
After evacuating six residents from a basement suite, officers learned there were still two seniors upstairs.
Houghton said they had to smash their way through a glass panel on the back door and crawl in to gain entry.
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“They described seeing flames through the front of the house, that orange glow, and you could hear the fire, and literally ran through the home looking room to room.”
Houghton said Surrey Fire Service told them that a minute later, the “home would have been fully engulfed.”
Police were able to escort one resident out but had to carry the other to safety.
Eight people were evacuated from the home in total. All of them were treated for smoke inhalation, but no one suffered serious injuries.
“Credit for 911 — they came right away, banged on the door, got the people out,” Singh said.
“Everything went good, nobody died.”
Houghton said police are investigating the fire as a potential targeted arson.
He said two people, possibly men, were seen out front of the house shortly before the vehicles burst into flame.
Two dark sedans were also seen leaving the area around the time of the fire.
Investigators want to speak with anyone who witnessed the fire or has video shot in the area around 1:45 a.m.
In the meantime, Houghton is praising the officers for their bravery.
“Had the fire been hotter and bigger, officers could be seriously injured or worse,” he said.
“I can tell you it is harrowing … as soon as you can find out there are potentially people inside, your instincts kick in. There is really no training they give us, we have no fire protective gear, you have to rush in, and the protection of life becomes the primary goal.”
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