West Shore RCMP investigating View Royal blaze as arson [Video]

A Vancouver Island family narrowly escaped an intense fire at their home in View Royal Tuesday morning, and local police are now investigating the blaze as arson.

View Royal Fire Department Chief Paul Hurst told CTV News it took just four minutes for firefighters to arrive at the scene, but the fire was already burning intensely when they arrived.

“My understanding is the family was awoken to find the house on fire,” Hurst said. “We’re just really thankful they were able to escape. They escaped out the back second floor. They couldn’t come down through the living room, through the first floor.”

More than two dozen firefighters from departments in View Royal, Colwood, Langford and Esquimalt responded to the blaze, which broke out shortly after midnight at the home on Damon Drive, near the intersection of Island Highway and Six Mile Road.

Hurst said the fire “took off quickly” and …