Six area fire departments responded to a call Wednesday, July 25 for a “stubborn bush fire,” according to a Facebook post from the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department.
Bow Horn Bay, Coombs-Hilliers, Errington, Qualicum Beach and Parksville fire departments assisted Dashwood with the fire.
Jeremy Morton, captain of training and operations with Dashwood, said the department received the call at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The fire was inside the gated community Little Qualicum River Village at the end of Meadowood Road.
Once crews were on scene, Morton said, there was fire and heavy smoke.
According to the Facebook post, the fire was what is called a “holdover fire” which means that the fire was burning underground for a period of time.
“The owner noticed a wisp of smoke and before they knew it the whole pile was on fire,” reads the Facebook post.
Morton said the holdover fire was originally a legal slash fire, “burning in the spring, maybe in the late winter.”
“It had been dormant for some time, but unbeknownst to the property owner, it had still been smouldering all this time deep down inside (the ground).”
Morton said as the temperatures dried out and got hotter, “it flared up.”
BC Ambulance Service was also on scene providing medical check up on the firefighters while they were working in the heat.
Morton said there wasn’t any damage to nearby structures or vehicles, but an excavator on site “nearly became part of the fire.”
According to the post, there were close to 30 firefighters working on putting out the fire.
“We hit it hard enough and quick enough that we didn’t require BC Forest Service to attend which is nice,” Morton said.
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