Colwood Fire Rescue was busy with its first brush fire of the season Monday morning.
The fire started behind a residence on Triangle Mountain just before midnight. The occupant of the home was awoken by the smell of smoke, discovered there was a bush fire on the rear side of his property on top of a slope and called 911.
Once on scene firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. Chief John Cassidy said it could have been much worse, but early detection of the fire made a huge difference.
“It turned out to be a bigger fire than originally thought,” Cassidy said. “There was a small wood shed next to the fence. With a little bit more time the fence could have caught on fire and then the woodshed and it would have escalated from there. Early detection is the key.”
RELATED: Heat wave also brings spike in preventable fires
Cassidy said the fire could have been human caused and urged residents to be vigilant as the weather gets warmer and drier.
“I would encourage everybody to be safe, make sure that anything they’re doing in the backyard, whether that’s depositing materials, make sure they’re doing it in a safe manner and be vigilant. Early detection really makes a difference,” he said.
Also in the West Shore, the Metchosin Fire Department responded to a fire in the municipality Monday afternoon.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
kendra.wong@goldstream
