The Williams Lake Fire Department was on scene of a small wildfire at a property on South Lakeside Drive.
Fire Chief Evan Dean said they responded yesterday afternoon at approximately 4:15 yesterday (Monday) afternoon.
Upon arrival, Dean said it was discovered that the fire was burning underground, spreading through years of discarded and buried yard waste.
The fire had originated from a small backyard burn but spread underground due to the buried hazard being unknown to the property owner.
“As fire crews worked through the layers of debris, it became clear that the affected area was bigger than anticipated, approximately 60 by 40 feet.” Dean said, “Given the size and the challenges posed by the cold weather and freezing conditions, a backhoe was called in to dig up the fire.”
Since the fire was just outside City limits, Dean said additional tender support was requested from the Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department.
25 firefighters, 2 command vehicles, 3 fire apparatus, 2 tenders from Wildwood, and a city-provided backhoe were required to extinguish the fire.
Crews were on scene for over three hours.
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