The remains of a CP Rail truck sit where it caught fire, directly below BC Hydro lines.

The remains of a CP Rail truck sit where it caught fire, directly below BC Hydro lines.

CP Rail truck fire causes power outage in Hope

Truck reportedly hit BC Hydro lines Wednesday morning, leading to fire

A CP Rail truck equipped with a boom caught fire when it came in contact with a BC Hydro wire at the Haig Station in Hope Wednesday morning.

The truck may have hit a guide wire while traveling underneath it, Hope’s Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy said. The occupants of the vehicle were able to escape, despite the damaged wire, and no one was injured in the incident.

It happened around 9:40 a.m., and fire crews were quick to arrive. But they couldn’t start fighting the fire until BC Hydro crews arrived shortly after. The Hydro company had to shut down power before firefighters could safely enter the area, and that caused an outage to 1,679 BC Hydro customers in Hope and the District of Kent.

By noon, trains were running normally and all that was left of the scene was a burned out vehicle and a trace of white foam.

Hydro was restored by 11:27 a.m.

news@ahobserver.com

 

Agassiz Observer