The pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Victoria says someone spilled gasoline through his mail slot in the moments before a huge fire broke out in his home in Fernwood and seriously injured his 11-year-old daughter early Wednesday.
Father Yuri Vishnevsky says that around 1 am his wife heard a noise on the front porch and when she went to see what it was, she saw gasoline spilling through the post office slot.
Vishnevsky is the pastor of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Nicholas on Caledonia Avenue in Victoria and lives next door to the church with his wife, three daughters and a cat.
In the early hours of Wednesday, around 1 am, their house caught fire – and he says he is not sure what the motive was for the fire.
Firefighters inspected the house after a fire early in the morning. (CHEK News)
In an interview with CHEK News, Vishnevsky said that after his wife saw the gas spill through the mailbox, she ran upstairs to get it, but by the time he went downstairs the fire was lit.
Vishnevsky tried to put out the flames, but it spread too quickly, so he had to flee outside while his wife and daughters were still on the second floor.
The children had to jump from the second floor while he called someone on the street to call 911.
His 11-year-old daughter suffered a severe cut on her arm from the broken glass and had surgery. Police described her injuries as initially life-threatening, but first aid and hospital treatment reduced them to life-threatening conditions.
Dan Atkinson, acting fire chief at the Victoria Fire Department, says several calls to 911 were received around 1 a.m.
“On arrival, we encountered very severe fire conditions coming from the front of the building, and we were met by a lone occupant who had landed right in front of the second-floor window, who needed to be rescued by a ladder.”
The man the department rescued from the second-floor window was Vishnevsky’s wife, who helped drop her three children out the window with people ready to catch them.
“The children were released from the second floor to the father and other passers-by who were helping,” Atkinson said. “It’s an amazing story about everyone coming together to make sure everyone came out safe.”
Atkinson said firefighters face additional challenges due to the age of the building.
“It was a very aggressive fire, and given the type of construction and the age of the building, it turned out to be very challenging in terms of firefighting,” Atkinson said. “Fortunately, we were able to deal with it relatively quickly.”
Vishnevsky says his family was shaken by the incident and the family cat is at the veterinary clinic.
Atkinson says when firefighters first found the cat, they thought it was dead.
“Once we got into the structure and did our basic search, we found a cat that showed no signs of life,” Atkinson said. “We were able to remove this cat, provide oxygen, and I am happy to announce that the cat is now stable and recovering in an animal hospital.”
The fire started on the front porch shortly after one of the occupants saw gasoline spilling through the post office. (CHEK News)
Vishnevsky says he has not received any threats that led to the fire and is unsure whether the motive is personal or related to the war in Ukraine, but police confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that they are investigating the fire as arson.
Const. Kam McIntyre, a spokeswoman for Victoria Police, said they had not yet ruled out a hate crime.
“There were questions about that, given the structure’s closeness to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which is very close, there is a connection between the family and the church,” McIntyre said. “Obviously something we’re looking at. At this point, there is nothing clear to indicate a motive other than the fact that it is arson. “
The VicPD Serious Crimes Unit asks anyone who has information, witnesses, or those who may have a surveillance camera or CCTV in the Cook Street and Caledonia Avenue area between midnight and 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to contact them. at 250-995-7654 extension 1, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
“Our goal is to find a suspect or suspects, arrest them and bring them to justice,” McIntyre said.
Meanwhile, Vishnevsky and his family remain with parishioners, as the house is uninhabitable.
Employees are helping Vic Fire at 1100-blk on Caledonia Ave after a construction fire in a home early this morning. One person was transported to hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries that are now considered non-life-threatening. The investigation continues. #yyj
– Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) April 20, 2022
“With files from April Lawrence.”
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