Friday, March 29, 2024

“I’m in shock”: Victoria business owner suffers $250K loss in Central Saanich outbuilding fire

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A fire in Central Saanich that left two firefighters injured also had a devastating impact on one business owner in Victoria.

In a phone interview with Victoria Buzz, Doug Riddell, owner of Vancouver Island Medical Supply, confirms that the outbuilding that caught fire in the 6300-block of Central Saanich Road on Friday night was used as a warehouse to store inventory for his business.

Riddell had been storing inventory of products like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, power chairs, and lifting devices at the property that he rented for several years.

He says the amount of products stored in the outbuilding made up about three quarters of the store’s total inventory. Due to the fire, Riddell estimates that his business suffered about $250,000 in damages.

“I had no insurance on the contents [of the outbuilding] which is absolutely devastating on top of what’s going on with this virus,” said Riddell, who comes from a nursing background and has worked in the medical care industry for over 25 years.

See also: Two firefighters injured while battling late night fire in Central Saanich

However the most devastating aspect of the blaze, even more than the catastrophic damage of products, was the loss of personal effects that were also stored in the outbuilding.

“That’s the hardest thing to swallow,” said Riddell. “There were personal effects from when my son was growing up, as well as keepsakes and papers from the house I used to live in.”

The fire at the Central Saanich house was sparked by an electrical cord running from the house to a storage container near the outbuilding in which irrigation tubes were stored, according to Riddell.

He says he did not insure the property himself because he believed it to be secure, given that the outbuilding’s door, wall, and roof were made of steel. The structural material of the outbuilding has not been confirmed by Central Saanich Fire department.

“I am in shock. I don’t know what to think right now. I’m having a very difficult time working or doing anything because of this loss,” said Riddell.

The family who owns the property attached to the outbuilding do have fire insurance but that does not cover Riddell’s belongings. Riddell says the landlord and their whole family is suffering greatly as well, as the flames wrought at least $100,000 of structural damage to their property.

“I’m fortunate that my losses are not as bad as losing your house. I’m hurting so bad for them that I just want to let them be and have time to heal,” he adds.

The question that remains for Riddell is how the fire managed to reach the outbuilding, given its steel interior.

“This is devastating for them [landlords], but I really want to know what happened and how the fire happened.”

The details of the cause of fire are discussed between the Central Saanich fire department, the owners of the property, and their insurance company. CS Fire Chief Chris Vrabel declined to provide further comment to Victoria Buzz.

But Riddell says he’s determined to find out.

“When I have the strength to deal with it, I will go to fire department and ask them what happened.

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Brishti Basu
Former Senior Staff Writer and Content Manager at Victoria Buzz.

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