Members of the Williams Lake Fire Department (WLFD) were glad a weekend of rain had already dampened local forests before someone ditched a vehicle and set it on fire in the area of Highway 97 and Mackenzie Avenue north Sunday morning.
Williams Lake RCMP and firefighters were called to the scene at about 6 a.m. Sunday to respond to the blaze, which sent off a plume of black smoke visible from the highway.
“It was just lucky it was raining because we would have had a problem,” said WLFD Deputy Fire Chief Rob Warnock.
Warnock said the vehicle, a Ford pickup truck, was dumped over a 40-foot embankment near the access gate to the top entrance of the forested area locally known as the dairy fields north of the city.
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Three apparatus and 15 firefighters responded to put out the fire, and the RCMP also attended.
The matter is under investigation. The vehicle is believed to be stolen.
Warnock noted the truck was “gutted” by the fire.
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