Updated - May 29 - 3:30pm
Highway 101 was closed to vehicle traffic in the Gibsons area for just over an hour the evening of Sunday, May 28 because of a house fire on Burton Road.
The highway was closed in both directions as the fire was on the south side of the highway and the nearest hydrant was on the north side, Gibsons deputy fire chief Jordan Pratt told Coast Reporter on May 29. He said that traffic control duties were handled by firefighters, assisted by member of the RCMP.
“Once the fire was extinguished and the hydrant water supply was no longer needed, we resumed the traffic flow,” he said. The deputy chief expressed his thanks to the public for their cooperation and understanding with the traffic disruption. “Closing the highway is not a decision we take lightly.
"In a case like this, the safety of our firefighters is our highest priority.”
One home rendered uninhabitable
The department was called to the scene at 6:10 p.m. “Upon arrival we found heavy smoke and fire coming through the windows of the kitchen, living and dining room areas” of what he described as a single-level residential structure. He reported that two residents were outside the home, uninjured.
According to Pratt his department had 31 personnel and five apparatuses on site and firefighters remained there for about two hours and 15 minutes. He said BC Emergency Health Services staff were also on scene and that there were no injuries to any of the first responders involved.
Pratt reported that the fire, which was contained to the one structure, is being investigated with the cause “undetermined at this time." Due to the damage caused, the residents were not able to remain in the home. He said that a home restoration company has been contacted and that as there was fire insurance in place, the residents did not require assistance for temporary accommodation from emergency social services.
