A dangerous fire rapidly engulfed an older Vancouver, Canada home late last week, which contained asbestos that may have become airborne.

According to the fire inspector at the scene, “The fire started and developed very, very quickly, faster than anybody could have thought…People were lucky to get out. They were in another part of the house at the time and only through luck were they alerted to the fire in the other half of the house. That points to the need for installing and maintaining smoke alarms.”

Luckily, no one was present in the house during the fire. It is believed that part of the reason the fire engulfed the home so quickly was because all the doors and window were open, giving the fire a steady stream of oxygen fuel. The fire is believed to have started in the garage before spreading to the house. The heat produced by the blaze kept firefighters from entering the home until crews could begin to dampen the flames. “With our protective clothing and breathing apparatus, and the exertion of fighting the fire, pulse rates and hydration are a big concern,” said one fireman who responded to the scene.

In addition, the asbestos in the building was also incredibly dangerous. “Part of the old structure contained vermiculite which has asbestos, so we had to worry about contamination of ourselves and equipment when fighting the fire,” said the fireman.

Airborne asbestos particles can cause the development of lung cancer or mesothelioma. Firefighters are considered to be at an increased risk of developing an asbestos-disease, along with veterans (specifically Navy vets who were likely exposed on asbestos-laden ships) and construction workers.

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