A 69-year-old man residing in a camper van near Nanaimo, B.C., suffered severe burns when the vehicle caught fire a month ago, leading to a challenging path to recovery. Jim Pera was inside the 1976 motorhome in a remote location when the incident occurred on December 9, 2025. Following the fire, he was airlifted to a hospital in Victoria.
According to his daughter, Britney Marshall, Pera sustained burns on 40% of his body, necessitating three grafting surgeries and a tracheotomy. Marshall mentioned that although her father is alive and showing signs of improvement, the journey to full recovery will be lengthy.
After spending 28 days in intensive care, Pera was transferred to the burn unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital. Marshall, who has been shuttling between Nanaimo and Victoria to assist her father while caring for her teenage sons, emphasized the absence of other family members to support her dad during this challenging time.
Marshall explained that her father resorted to living in the RV a few years back due to physical strain from his construction work, as his pension funds were insufficient to cover rent after retirement. Despite facing challenges with the camper van and accumulating fines, Pera eventually relocated to Nanaimo Lakes Road where he joined other RV residents.
Concerned about her father’s well-being, Marshall provided him with a generator to avoid long walks for charging his phone. She suspected that the fire might have been triggered by the propane tanks used for heat and cooking in the vehicle.
On the day of the fire, emergency responders found the camper engulfed in flames upon arrival. Marshall recalled the distressing moment when she learned about the incident through news reports, only to later discover that her father was involved.
As Pera continues his recovery with the possibility of additional surgeries, Marshall remains uncertain about his future. She has been utilizing social media to update well-wishers on his progress and is exploring options for his accommodation post-discharge. To support his recovery and rebuilding efforts, she has initiated online fundraising, highlighting his current lack of basic necessities after losing all his possessions in the fire.