North Cowichan’s South End Fire Department spent close to four hours dousing flames and mopping up a house fire on Wicks Road Monday night.
The flames were discovered about 6:30 p.m. And they ultimately engulfed the entire house, reducing it to a frame of charred beams and rubble.
South End deputy chief Brad Coleman said members of the Maple Bay Fire Department joined his crew of about 25 from the South End hall.
“Just for extra manpower, we called in Maple Bay as well,” Coleman said.
The mutual aid crew brought with them a pumper to be added to the South End equipment.
Firefighters spent upwards of four hours at the scene.
“It was a bit of a stubborn one and of course the overhaul, that always takes a bit of time to make sure you don’t have rekindles,” Coleman said. “There was quite a bit of fuel load in there.”
The cause of the fire was unknown Tuesday but the investigation continued.
It’s believed two adults were displaced as a result of the blaze.
The busy night for firefighters continues a busy year for the South End members.
Coleman said there’s been a spike in structure fires in 2015, according to the hall’s statistics.
“We’ve had a busy year for structures,” he said. “Last night’s was probably number 15 or 16 this year. It is [unusual]. Generally in a year we expect of an average of about maybe six.”