Powell River Fire Rescue added another decisive victory after extinguishing a small brush fire in the middle of town, a fire that has investigators asking the public for help.
Deputy Fire Chief Terry Peters credits the quick response from both staff at First Credit Union reporting the fire and his crews in ensuring that the fire did not spread and threaten Westview residents.
The fire, discovered at 8:40 am on Saturday, July 4, was called in by credit union staff and involved a tall cedar behind the building. The fire was picking up strength as it worked its way to the tree’s top, when crews arrived.
“Crews grabbed a hydrant and were able to get on to it quick,” Peters said. The flames had almost crowned the tree and embers were falling into nearby brush causing great concern that it would spread. He added that engine 41, the city’s newest truck, attended and its quick setup added to the crew’s responsiveness.
“We’re seeing how quickly things are starting in the province; you can imagine what would happen if one started in the middle of town,” he said. “It would cause chaos in a matter of minutes.”
When asked about the cause of the brush fire, one firefighter on scene responded that he did not know, but there had not been any lightning.
Peters said he is happy with the quick action of citizens to report fires, but the fire department is reminding people to be diligent when emergency scenes are set.
“We had some people run over our fire hose,” Peters said, adding that besides the point of it being illegal, it is also dangerous because if the hose ruptured it could impede their work. “This is something that’s happened before and now again. It’s just people not paying attention.”
Peters reminded the public to pay attention to emergency scenes while operating vehicles and to “not interfere in any way, particularly damaging equipment being used to deal with emergencies.” He added that this basic principle comes directly from the driver’s licencing exam, a test that all BC motorists have taken and passed. “It’s disheartening to see and can make it a lot worse for everybody,” he added.
RCMP officers were also on site during the blaze. Corporal Kevin Day, media liaison officer from the Powell River detachment, said the cause of the fire is under investigation and anyone with information about how it may have been started should come forward by contacting either the detachment at 604.485.6255 or CrimeStoppers at 1.800.222.TIPS (8477).
