A Kamloops RCMP officer was the first to call in a house fire yesterday afternoon in Brock, and helped get an elderly woman out of the house.

Cpl. Jodi Shelkie says Const. Richer, who did not want her first name to be used, was on patrol when she stumbled upon the smoke and flame at the home, which was at 1102 13th Street.

Shelkie says the woman was unaware the fire was burning when Richer alerted her.

“(Kamloops Fire Rescue) attended, and were able to confine the fire to the rear deck and to an outside stairwell. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it’s not considered suspicious at this time.”

Shelkie says a tenant who lives downstairs in the home was not home when the fire happened.

The Force commended Const. Richer for her quick actions to make sure everyone was safe after spotting the fire.

“We’re the eyes of the community when the community can’t be out there looking for themselves. In this case it was in the afternoon, but especially at night when there aren’t so many people awake. We often come across things like fires at houses that may be on fire that we need to alert people for something suspicious that’s happening, and we take care of it,” Shelkie says.