After a fire broke out in a commercial building near Aqua and Field Roads in ts'uk̲w'um (Wilson Creek) on Sunday, April 24, nearly two dozen firefighters helped douse the flames.
No injuries were reported, Sechelt fire chief Trevor Pike told Coast Reporter. Twenty-three firefighters and four apparatuses responded after they were called by a passerby at around 10:25 a.m.
“Upon arrival, there was heavy black smoke showing from the building, and fire was visible from outside of the structure,” Pike said. “We immediately sent two crews into the building, and we had the fire controlled and extinguished within 20 minutes. Crews spent another half hour overhauling the fire site inside the mill.”
The firefighters determined the fire involved saw dust, rubber matting and a conveyor belt but the cause of the fire is still under investigation. “It’s definitely not suspicious, it’s an accidental fire,” Pike said.
A passing vehicle driver called in to report seeing smoke in the area, and staff of the mill became aware of the fire when the firefighters arrived, Pike said. Damage from the fire includes electrical wiring but only a small portion of the mill was on fire, he added.
