Teamwork and a quick response helped keep an overnight fire from spreading, according to officials, as Salt Spring’s only dry cleaning business faced extensive damage.
The call for firefighters at Salt Spring Linen & Dry Cleaners on Hereford Avenue came just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7. The first crews on-scene found heavy smoke and fire in the loading bay, extending up to the second floor of the structure. Fire Chief Jamie Holmes said those first responders worked from outside the building to slow the spread until Tender 1 and Engine 3 arrived.
“The crews did an amazing job,” said Holmes. “The on-duty firefighters got here quickly, started an action plan and bought time for the paid-on-call (POC) firefighters to arrive and complete the job. It was a great team effort.”
Once they arrived, those POC firefighters moved to the interior to fully extinguish the fire and search the building, said Holmes, as well as salvage items that could be saved. In total, 13 firefighters and six apparatus responded to the fire call, and over six hours used 3,700 gallons of water. Crews from BC Hydro were on-scene to assist, as well as police and ambulance.
Holmes said people should stay clear of the scene for the time being to give the business owners “some time and space” before asking about any personal items that might have been in the building.
The fire is currently under investigation, he added, but so far investigators have not found anything suspicious.
For an update on this story, see the Feb. 15 issue of the Driftwood newspaper.
