Fire destroyed a converted school bus that had been parked in a wooded area near Highway 6 just outside Nelson city limits.
At about 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nelson Fire Rescue responded to a report of a motor home on fire. Crews arrived to find a school bus converted into an RV was fully involved in fire.
The blaze had also reached nearby trees. Graciously, crews were able to contain the fire before it spread out of control.
“It’s a good thing somebody on the property noticed the fire and called us,” said fire chief Simon Grypma. “If it had been left to burn, it could have caused a significant incident especially with this incident being at the base of the mountain and the bush is so dry right now, it could have spread quickly.”
The fire affected about 600 square feet of forest.
Usually crews from BC Forest Service would assist with fires that spread to trees, but provincial crews were busy with the forest fire in Five Mile Creek and the Nelson crews had the situation under control.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though Grypma said it has not been deemed suspicious. But he said everyone should be extra careful around the dry forest.
“I’d like to remind everyone living in proximity of the bush to be extremely careful this time of year to ensure there are no accidential fires caused from either electrical, extension cords, candles or things like that,” said Grypma.
The motor home was completely destroyed in the fire. A 300 liter propane tank was leaking as a result of the fire, but the fuel was contained before the flames reached it.
Grypma said there was no smoke alarm in the vehicle, and stressed smoke alarms should be present anywhere that people sleep.
“People that are travelling this time of year should have a battery operated smoke alarm with them, whether they’re sleeping in an RV, a trailer or a bus,” he said.
