A vehicle fire near St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Fulford Harbour that filled the area with smoke and brought reports of booms was quickly extinguished by Salt Spring firefighters on Monday night.
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) Engine 1 was nearby and reached the scene quickly, according to Capt. Clayton Akerman.
“There was a Volkswagen bus of some sort on fire,” said Akerman, “and the fire started getting into the brush on the high side of the road toward the neighbouring homes and properties.”
The two SSIFR members on Engine 1 were soon joined by another eight on-call firefighters with apparatus from different fire halls, Akerman added — mainly water tenders to supply water for Engine 1.
“Our first truck there managed to contain the fire, preventing further spread into the forested area,” said Akerman, “and extinguished the vehicle fire.”
Reports of booms heard in around Fulford during the fire can safely be attributed to the burning bus, said Akerman, adding it was common for vehicle fires to produce small explosions.
“There are various different components, including pressurized cylinders,” he said. “Those will explode when they get super heated.”
Some traffic from the Skeena Queen was re-routed as it came in, according to Akerman, as firefighters had closed the road as the ferry was unloading. No injuries were reported.