Victoria firefighters were able to douse a car fire, but the incident has crews reminding the public to give the correct information when calling 911.
Around 4 p.m. Monday, the Victoria Fire Department was dispatched to Blanshard Street at Bay Street for a report that a vehicle was on fire. However, when crews arrived on scene, they realized the address given over the phone was incorrect, the fire department says.
Turns out the fire was directly in front of CHEK News’ building at 780 Kings Rd., which is a block away from where it was reported to be.
“Luckily, (the address) was quickly updated, and Engine 3 was able to circle the block to 780 Kings (in front of our friends at @chek_news) and get to work,” reads a social media post.
The post included a video of crews putting out the fire, which appeared to have started in the engine of an older model Toyota Camry.
“Upon arrival, flames were showing from the engine compartment. Crews used the bumper line and quickly extinguished the fire with foam, which cools and blankets the fuel surface, smothering the fire,” said fire crews.
While no one was injured, they add that reporting the correct address of a fire is important as it can help reduce response times.
“Just a quick reminder to be as accurate as possible when calling 911 and giving information to dispatchers,” they said.
“While this incident worked out okay, it is easy to see how delays resulting from inaccurate information could lead to serious consequences.”
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Ethan Morneau
