Fire officials said despite the total loss of a Beaver Point Road home, no one was injured and the fire was contained to a single structure near Weston Lake.
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) Deputy Chief Dale Lundy said firefighters raced to the scene Friday, April 25, after a caller reported dark grey smoke coming through a rooftop. But even as trucks were rolling, Lundy said, updates from dispatchers indicated the situation was worsening.
“Another caller had reported heavy flames coming out of the roof,” said Lundy. “So it was pretty well involved by the time we got there.”
Using about 8,000 gallons of water, Lundy said, SSIFR crews were able to contain the fire enough to save a nearby cottage — and to prevent fire from spreading into the surrounding forest.
With no hydrants in the area, crews set up to quickly refill trucks with water from Weston Lake — notably just the kind of tender shuttle scenario SSIFR was recently reaccredited for, through the department’s successful Fire Underwriters Survey evaluation in February. That 10-year accreditation is recognized by most home insurers as functionally equivalent to having a fire hydrant nearby.
“And that all worked the way it should,” said Lundy. “Any fire where there’s loss, it’s obviously not good, but I can say the crews did a great job mitigating any further damage.”
No one was home at the time of the fire, Lundy said, and a preliminary investigation indicated the fire was likely accidental.
As Salt Spring Island’s wet season comes to an end, Lundy said, SSIFR is reminding islanders that residential property assessments through the fire department are available free of charge, for anyone seeking professional tips on ways to make their property less susceptible to wildfire.
“Our FireSmart team is in full force right now, doing home assessments,” said Lundy. “If anybody’s interested, they should definitely reach out.”
The free assessments typically take about 45 minutes, Lundy said, and can be booked either online at saltspringfire.com or by contacting the fire hall, 250-537-2531 or firesmart@saltspringfire.com.