Firefighters from the Mill Bay department had one heck of a busy evening on Thursday, July 8.
It all began around 4:20 p.m. when they were called out to a motor vehicle incident involving two vehicles at Kilmalu Road and the Trans-Canada Highway.
As the firefighters were leaving that scene and before they could even return to the hall, the crew was directed to race over to a medical aid call in the Mill Springs subdivision at roughly 5:15 p.m.
Another MVI had the busy crew headed out from the medical aid call and back to the Trans-Canada Highway, this time to the southbound lanes in front of the Laughing Llama where a vehicle lost control and sheared a Hydro pole at the base. That was just after 6 p.m.
The Hydro pole remained standing but firefighters opted to close the highway’s southbound lanes until contractors could secure the pole and prevent it from falling onto the highway and causing a bigger issue.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused for some folks travelling through Mill Bay but public safety was the priority,” said the fire hall’s Facebook page.
Department spokesperson Captain Camrin Hillis later explained that the highway was closed and people were kept back from the damaged pole as the primary concern was the potential of a brush fire if the pole were to fall and cause sparks.
“We remained on scene at the second MVI from time of call until approximately 9:30 p.m. when a Hydro contractor arrived with equipment to secure the damaged pole,” Hillis added.
It was a busy few hours but fortunately there did not appear to be significant injuries as a result of the crashes.
“Having three back-to-back calls for our department is fairly uncommon, especially having two MVIs within a couple hours of each other,” Hillis said.
The department currently has 33 firefighters ranging from probationary firefighters up to the chief, along with two auxiliary members who provide support to the department. The department is actively recruiting for new members in the south end of its district to increase the numbers at Hall 1. Learn more at https://mbfd.ca/
sarah.simpson@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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