Reports of flames and an explosion sent crews from all three Salt Spring fire stations to an early morning blaze that destroyed a cabin, according to fire officials.
No one was injured, according to Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue deputy fire chief Dale Lundy, but the roughly 600-square-foot structure on Fulford-Ganges Road near Blackburn Lake was completely consumed by fire early Wednesday, Nov. 27.
The first firefighter on scene arrived just minutes after the 5:22 a.m. call-out, according to Lundy, as they lived in the neighbourhood –– but discovered the small cabin’s metal roof had already collapsed downward, covering a pile of burning debris. Arriving crews focused on completely extinguishing the fire and keeping it from spreading, he said, noting protocol calls for all fire halls to respond to a structure fire.
More than a dozen firefighters worked with water from their trucks, Lundy said, as there was no hydrant nearby.
“People would’ve seen a half-dozen trucks shuttling water from fire hall [in Ganges],” said Lundy, “bringing somewhere around 12,000 to 15,000 gallons in total.”
Lundy said there was “nothing obvious” regarding how the fire might’ve started; Salt Spring Island RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Clive Seabrook said Thursday that in consultation with SSIFR, there was no evidence to suggest the fire was suspicious.
Praising the speed of response –– and the good fortune no one was hurt –– Lundy said fire crews were able to leave the scene at around 9:30 a.m. and return to the hall in Ganges.
“And crews from other halls were kind enough to hang around and assist with getting all the apparatus back in service,” he added.