The District of Elkford says Weigert Creek Forest Service Road and Highway 43 were temporarily closed Wednesday morning as the fire department responded to a car fire.
Fire chief Curtis Nyuli says they were informed of the fire at 5:50 am, but could not attend the scene until 6:52 am because they needed clearance from the BC Wildfire Service for their response.
“They want to be sure that it’s something necessary to spend funds on,” says Nyuli. “They do have crews but they’re in Cranbrook, so they’re going to be an hour too. They’re always looking at getting the best bang for their buck. And of course we had some precipitation last night, and I think that probably also added to the delay in getting the nod from them as well.”
After receiving the go-ahead and determining the burning vehicle was no threat to the surrounding forest, crews were able to extinguish the blaze
Nyuli says the driver got out of the vehicle as soon as they heard an unusual sound from front end, no injuries were reported.
“From my experience in the past we’ve had bearing or any kind of mechanical issues from friction,” he says. “A mechanical device like that? Failure will lead to some kind of fire eventually, so that’s what we’re kind of assuming on that, otherwise there’s no foul or fraudulent intent there.”
Fire crews were able to quickly extinguished the blaze and reopen the road to traffic.
View more information from the Elkford Fire Department below:
This morning, Elkford Fire Department received information of a car fire, involving a vehicle fully engulfed in flames, near the Weigert Creek FSR and Highway 43 at 5:50 a.m.
Clearance to respond was granted by BC Wildfire Service and received by the Elkford Fire Department at 6:52 a.m.
Unfortunately, fire departments have no authority to action a fire outside of their designated fire protection area until permission is granted from the authority having jurisdiction (in this case, the BC Wildfire Service).
RCMP on the scene were holding traffic from both sides as the firefighters arrived.
After arriving on scene, Elkford firefighters accessed the fire’s perimeter and determined no threat or exposures to surrounding forest, so they directed their attack to the smouldering vehicle.
Once the fire was deemed safe to pass, single-lane traffic was opened as overhaul and extinguishment continued.
Elkford Fire Department personnel and all apparatuses left the scene at 7:48 a.m.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, but is suspected to have been a wheel bearing or possibly mechanical in nature.
The driver pulled over immediately upon hearing abnormal noises from the front end of the car.
No firefighter injuries are reported.
“Public safety and the preservation of life are our first and foremost considerations when responding to these types of incidents,” explains Elkford Fire Chief, Curtis Nyuli. “It’s challenging to have to wait when you get the call—especially in the heightened fire season— and when you’ve been trained to be first in and last out, but we are obligated to follow the correct procedure when responding to these types of calls.”
Fire Chief Nyuli adds that the Elkford Fire Department wishes to thank local RCMP for their quick response and action to shut down the highway.
– Submitted by the Elkford Fire Department Below
– Curtis Nyuli, Elkford Fire Chief Curtis Nyuli
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