CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – A local couple had a near-miss over the holidays.
Cat Kalyniuk said her husband smelled an electrical burn late Tuesday evening as he was about to go to bed.
She said that within a minute, there was smoke in their downstairs studio. They called 911 and within approximately five minutes, the fire department came to investigate.
Kalyniuk said crews did thermal imaging to make sure the burn was not inside the walls of their house.
“They (the fire crews) discovered that it was the motherboard control board in the furnace housing,” Kalyniuk said.
The furnace is a free-standing furnace with its own housing. Kalyniuk said the control board was melted into the side of the housing, which was inches away from the gas line.
“They did say that it probably would not have caused a fire because when the motherboard malfunctions, it would’ve switched off. We were very fortunate in that sense.”
Kalyniuk added that not knowing what was happening in her own home was frightening, but that the situation could have been worse.
As of now, Kalyniuk and her husband don’t know what caused the malfunction. She said a furnace expert will come and investigate what happened, and she hopes to get more information then.
“Why would this happen? Is it because it’s old? That’s not a good thing.”
Above all, Kalyniuk is grateful for the rapid response from the fire department.
“The efficiency and the professionalism of the firefighters themselves… they’re very compassionate and understanding, it was just really amazing.”
