SURREY, B.C. — Surrey RCMP are reminding residents to ensure their smoke alarms are working after a man died in a house fire on Saturday.
Mounties say they received a report of a fire in the 15600-block of 82nd Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.
When firefighters arrived, they determined a 50-year-old man was trapped inside a basement suite and they pulled him from the home.
Surrey Fire and B.C. Ambulance crews were unable to resuscitate the man, who was likely sleeping at the time of the blaze.
Mounties say the fire was likely caused by smoking and the smoke alarm for the basement was found disconnected and on top of the fridge.
They say this tragic death may have been preventable and are reminding the public that working smoke alarms increase chances of survival in a fire by 74 per cent.
