A dramatic truck fire on Salt Spring’s Whims Road that sent acrid smoke across the island didn’t spread to surrounding trees, according to officials, who remind residents and visitors that fire danger conditions across most of B.C. remain elevated — a little rain notwithstanding.
Salt Spring Island Fire Rescue (SSIFR) were called Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 5, to the single-vehicle blaze, with what became five apparatus and ten members, according to SSIFR Assistant Fire Chief Ken Akerman, who said a mix of career and paid-on-call firefighters responded from multiple island fire halls.
“We were able to keep the fire contained to the vehicle and about 30 feet into the bush,” said Akerman. “At this point the cause of the fire is still being determined.”
The Whims Road fire came shortly before Tuesday night’s light rainfall, and after five SSIFR members had been deployed to join the hundreds of firefighters responding to the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island.
That fire has grown to over 1,300 acres, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Akerman said the SSIFR members went in two separate mutual aid deployments, and in two vehicles — the three-ton wildland fire truck from Fulford’s fire hall and one of the district’s water tender trucks — but added that the department is using reserve apparatus to ensure they remain fully complimented at home.
“We are still in extreme fire conditions,” said Akerman. “As a reminder, there is still no burning allowed on Salt Spring at this point.”
Salt Spring Island’s campfire ban went into effect July 17. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit bcwildfire.ca. The saltspringfire.com website has more local information, including a “cheat sheet” describing restrictions related to high-risk activities such as chainsawing and mechanical land clearing.