Mounties battle vehicle fire that spread to trees on Campbell River logging road

Campbell River RCMP officers got help from nearby campers when a vehicle fire on a logging road spread to the surrounding forest over the weekend.

Mounties received a report just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday of a fully engulfed vehicle off of Brewster Lake Forest Service Road en route to Big Bay.

Officers alerted the Coastal Fire Centre and on the way to the vehicle, learned the forest around it had also caught fire.

The first officer to arrive at 11:47 p.m. used an extinguisher to knock down the flames and create a rough fire line, according to RCMP. The second officer to arrive had more extinguishers to help prevent the fire from spreading.

A forest company’s water truck then arrived. That’s when Mounties learned the driver of the vehicle that caught fire had gone to get help from the water truck.

Along with nearby campers in the area, Mounties operated a hose to put out most of the fire before a crew from Coastal Fire Centre arrived to help mop up.

Investigators say the vehicle that caught fire flipped on its side due to a mechanical failure. One passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries that sent her to hospital for treatment.

In a statement, Campbell River RCMP thanked those who jumped into action to prevent a major forest fire.

“The Campbell River RCMP would like to thank everyone who chipped in to ensure the safety of the nearby campers at Big Bay and to keep the event from turning into a fire disaster,” the department said.

RCMP say it’s the third time in three weeks that they’ve been called for a vehicle fire on a forest service road in the area.

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