Nanaimo house fire that killed 3 ruled an accident

Nanaimo firefighters believe a Tuesday fire that killed three people was an accident.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue says the Oct. 10 fire was likely caused by unattended candles in the kitchen of the Nicol Street home.

"This tragic event resulted in the loss of life to three people and our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and extended families at this time," Fire Chief Karen Fry said in a statement.

• Bodies of 2 adults and a child pulled from burning home in Nanaimo

The victims were two adults and a seven-year-old girl.

A bystander who called to report the fire in the 700 block of Nicol Street shortly after noon on Tuesdayand firefighters discovered the bodies, as they tried to bring the flames under control, Fry said at the time.

The fire was described as stubborn and Fry said firefighters were working at the scene for at least two-and-a-half hours after the blaze was first reported.

Fry said on Friday the fire was believed to have started much earlier, perhaps overnight, but was an "oxygen-deprived fire."

"What that means is there's not enough oxygen to sustain the fire so it slows down or cools down after it burns up all the oxygen and fills the home with smoke," she said.

"Then, once it gets more oxygen into the system, maybe finding another space to burn walls, ceilings, spaces like that it heats up again and at that time, we're going to guess, it was discovered by the passerby."

The RCMP and coroner also investigated the fire.

With files from Elizabeth McArthur