Skip to content

Quick response stops brush fire

Fire was up to half an acre
8164225_web1_170818-CCI-M-duncan-firehall-horiz
The Duncan Fire Hall was one of three local fire departments that battled a brush fire Wenesday night. (File photo)

North Cowichan’s South End Fire Hall, Maple Bay Fire Hall and the Duncan Fire Hall quickly extinguished a brush fire near the York Road trail and Timbercrest subdivision on Wednesday night.

The quick action by firefighters prevented the fire from threatening nearby houses and the adjacent Garry Oak preserve.

With the severely dry conditions, the fire grew quickly in size to a half acre.

Twenty-five firefighters from the three fire halls were on site within minutes and fought the fire, which is said to be human-caused, for 2.5 hours before it was extinguished completely.

“We’re thankful for the very quick call to 9-1-1 by a resident,” says Mike Dunn, fire chief of the Maple Bay Fire Hall.

“That combined with the rapid response by the fire halls kept the fire from having devastating results.”

A campfire ban has been in place for the Coastal Fire Centre since July 7, and will remain in place until October 21, 2017, or until the public is otherwise notified.

This ban includes not only campfires but category 2 and 3 open fires, tiki torches, fireworks and firecrackers, sky lanterns, binary exploding targets, burn barrels and burn cages.