The Campbell River Fire Department responded to a fire on a vessel at the Freshwater Marina on July 28, successfully extinguishing the fire and preventing any damage to surrounding property, with help from some bystanders.
A call of a marine incident at the marina came through 911 to fire dispatch at 1:30 p.m., said Campbell River Fire Chief Thomas Doherty. The fire was located among the marina’s ‘G’ sheds.
On investigation by crews, the fire was found inside the engine compartment of a 36-foot pleasure craft, with moderate smoke coming from the vessel, he said.
Bystanders pushed the boat out of the boathouse and moved it to one of the other dock fingers. This helped the firefighters, because they were able to hook up to the nearby standpipe system to extinguish the fire. Otherwise they would have needed to set up hose lines over a distance to fight the fire.
No damage occurred to any of the surrounding structures or boats.
The fire was determined to be electrical. This serves as a reminder for anyone conducting electrical work to be cautious and have it performed by qualified individuals, said Doherty.
Despite the help from some at the scene, the response was complicated by others.
“It was challenging as it is in such a confined area, and we had lots of public there, making it a little bit more difficult,” he said. “Some parked cars were right up against the fire hydrant on site, but we were able to manage around them, fortunately.”
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