A man was taken to the hospital after a trailer fire broke out in a Courtenay parking lot.
Fire crews responded to calls of a trailer fire in a parking lot on Puntledge Road Thursday morning. When crews arrived, the fire was already out but they found a man unconscious inside due to smoke inhalation.
Courtenay Fire Chief Kurt MacDonald said crews began first aid and the man was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
MacDonald said the man had been given access to the trailer as a temporary shelter for a couple of days when the fire broke out.
He said recently there has been an increase in people creating fires to keep warm, but injuries are about the same as in previous years.
“There’s been an uptick in the number of fires we’ve been going to lately in response to cold weather and people trying to stay warm,” said MacDonald. “In terms of injuries, we’re probably up a few but it’s not like we go to a bunch of them.”
MacDonald said the fires happen sometimes because of the recent rain and snow, and others because of social gatherings.
