Firefighters in Nanaimo are busy battling several bush fires Sunday, including one that crews are calling “fairly significant.”
At around 10:30 a.m., multiple fire engines from Nanaimo Fire Rescue responded to a blaze in the 2400-block of Nadely Crescent near Sun Valley Drive.
“Crews are on scene now. There’s quite a bit of work to do,” said Geoff Whiting, deputy chief of operations, in an interview with CHEK News.
By noon, smoke from the fire could still be seen blowing across the Nanaimo Parkway.
“It’s fairly significant. It’s creating a lot of smoke, but it’s under control at this point,” said Whiting, noting crews are checking for hot spots.
UPDATE: Nanaimo Fire Rescue battles six brush fires in six-hour span Sunday
It follows several other bush fires earlier Sunday morning, including one around the College Drive and Nanaimo Parkway intersection and two in the Robin Hood Drive area.
“We’ve had a number of small bushfires today,” said Whiting.
The second fire call of the day came in at 5:49 a.m., after a grassfire sparked within an empty lot in the 100-block of Nicol Street near Milton Street. Whiting says crews were able to put it out quickly.
One local captured video of the Nicol Street fire:
The City of Nanaimo’s website lists ongoing fire incidents within the city, with eight bush fires listed so far on Sunday.
Whiting says the fires are either being dealt with or were already extinguished by crews, and adds that investigations are underway to determine the cause of each.
“Given that we’ve had no lightning, it’s safe to they’re human-caused,” added Whiting.
CHEK News
