Things heated up for the Williams Lake Fire Department during the weekend.
Deputy Fire Chief Rob Warnock said his crews responded to nine calls between 1 a.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday.
“We were at a dumpster fire call at a church on Carson Drive Saturday and then right after that were called to a fire in two rooms at the Slumber Lodge,” Warnock said.
Right after the structure fire at the Slumber Lodge, which is empty and has been boarded up since 2012, the department was called to a second dumpster fire, this time at United Floors on Oliver Street.
“Then on Sunday morning we had a structure fire in the L-shaped building that was still standing at the Williams Inn, in behind where we had a fire before,” Warnock said. “The 150 Mile Vounteer Fire Department assisted us with the Williams Inn and we are very grateful.”
Warnock said it was the fourth fire at Williams Inn in the last two and a half years, noting the two structure fires and the dumpster fires are all considered suspicious.
Later at around 4:15 p.m. Sunday the department responded to a wildfire in the 800 block of Dog Creek Road that had moved to a garage.
During the weekend the department also received burning complaints despite the open burning and campfire ban imposed last Friday throughout the entire province.
“In the city of Williams Lake there is also no burning whatsoever,” Warnock said as he urged the public to be careful. “We had a few people having campfires who just didn’t know.”
