A new mutual aid agreement between the Pender Harbour and Egmont/Ruby Lake volunteer fire departments was put to the test Aug. 13. Until about a month ago, Egmont had no assistance available in fire situations. Thankfully, with a fully involved house fire, two Pender Harbour engines arrived in minutes to assist Egmont's engine.
"It just happened they were on the road training and were on the scene in 10 minutes," Egmont Fire Chief Peter Sly said.The three-storey, 232 m sq. (2,500 square foot) log home at 15423 Hallowell Rd. was fully involved when firefighters arrived around 7:30 p.m. Sly said the fire was beginning to crown in the trees around the house.
"It was a 150 foot [50 metre] high fire," Sly said. "We were there from 7:30 until 11 when we knocked it down. There were no injuries, but there was total loss [of the house]," he said.
Sly said the Pender crews left around 1:30 a.m. while Egmont members stayed on scene until 3 p.m. the next day putting out hot spots. He also said that members of the Ruby Lake Homeowners Association used 17 smaller pumps to put out spot fires created by falling sparks within a half-mile radius of the primary fire.
Homeowners Bill and Sharon Jones lost everything in the fire, and community members in Egmont and Pender Harbour are rallying to help the family.
An account has been set up at the Sunshine Coast Credit Union and a local resident has started collecting furniture, clothing and kitchen items to help the Jones' get back on their feet. If you have anything you would like to donate, contact Livia at 604-883-9132.
