A Campbell River beach fire that wasn’t properly extinguished spread into the brush at the base of a steep slope Tuesday – presenting a difficult challenge for fire fighters.
No one was injured, and no property was damaged, but fire fighters were on the scene for an hour and 30 minutes, working to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading.
At 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, Campbell River fire crews responded to multiple reports of smoke coming from the brush below Sequoia Park. When crews arrived, they reported a brush fire at the base of the steep slope, burning in an area covering approximately 40 by 30 feet.
Accessing the location was difficult, and fire crews had to extend more than 700 feet of fire hose to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading up the steep slope.
“This is a result of an unattended beach fire that was not completely extinguished from the previous evening,” says Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Doherty. “With the prolonged hot dry weather conditions, Campbell River Fire Department strongly urges people to be extremely careful with campfires and ensure fires are fully extinguished prior to leaving the location. This was a challenging example of carelessness that could have turned into a very serious situation very quickly.”