It was a busy end to the workweek for the Campbell River Fire Department, as crews responded to two separate early-morning fires.
Just before 12:45 am yesterday (Jan. 22nd), fire chief Thomas Doherty says crews were dispatched to a vehicle fire in Willow Point, near the Bottle Depot.
“Crews arrived on scene and there was an RV and what appeared to be an encampment, a large tent, that was involved in fire on site,” he says.
Thanks to a quick response from fire crews, Doherty says they were able to put out the blaze well before it spread to any nearby buildings.
However, two people did suffer injuries, and both were treated by BC Ambulance. The cause of this first fire is not known at this time.
Hours later, at 7:26 am, firefighters were then dispatched to another fire at the Discovery Harbour Marina.
A 50-foot sailboat caught fire, Doherty says, adding that fortunately, “crews were able to contain that fire inside the vessel.”
There are no injuries to report this time, with the cause of this second fire is also not known.
This isn’t the first fire Vancouver Islanders have seen in recent weeks. Just last week, two schools in the Cowichan Valley caught fire. The man suspected of being responsible is now facing charges.
Meanwhile, over in Port Hardy, police are still investigating the January 17th apartment fire that left several injured and 24 people without a home.
And, police are now investigating, after a so-called suspicious fire destroyed a truck and a car parked in a Black Creek driveway in the early hours of January 20th.
Doherty says the volume of fires around town really doesn’t change with the seasons. In the colder, winter months, he says the workload doesn’t necessarily slow down.
More people are using their wood-burning appliances, “which can lead to chimney fires or fires from those heating appliances,” he says.
A lot of people also use baseboard heaters this time of year, Doherty adds, which also seems to bump up the call volume.
“Obviously, when the hotter weather comes, we see a lot more brush fires and whatnot. When it comes to structure fires, it varies. It depends on so many different aspects.”
CR Fire crews extinguish large outdoor fire behind bottle depot in Willow Point early this morning, then respond to a fire on a 50' sailboat in a local marina at 07:30 am
— Campbell River Fire (@RiverCityFire) January 23, 2021
