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Williams Lake Fire Department busy

Crews were called to an apartment fire at 1 a.m. Tuesday, March 28 in the Treehouse Apartments at 630 Second Ave. North.
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A grass fire in Boitanio Park Saturday

The Williams Lake Fire Department has been busy.

Crews were called to an apartment fire at 1 a.m. Tuesday, March 28 in the Treehouse Apartments at 630 Second Ave. North.

“On arrival an apartment on the second floor was fully involved with heavy smoke and flame coming from the kitchen window,” Fire Chief Des Webster said. “When crews arrived they were able to put the fire down quickly before it spread to adjacent units.”

Webster said the resident of the unit was taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

The department responded with 19 firefighters, he added.

On Monday morning, March 27, the fire department responded to a grass fire along Mackenzie Avenue where a business owner was burning grass near a building.

And on Saturday, March 25 the department responded to the fourth grass fire in recent days in the vicinity of Boitanio Park, but turned it into a prescribed burn.

“We were here last night at midnight responding to a grass fire below the Greyhound station,” Webster said at the scene Saturday as he waited for the firetrucks and crews to arrive.

“Someone saw some kids lighting this one today and take off.”

The RCMP will be following up, Webster said.

The city confirmed Tuesday the fire department will be conducting fuel mitigation and training sessions from March 28  to April 18, 2017 between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Areas crews will be in include the water tower, off of Gibbon and Western Streets,  Stampede Grounds, below Oliver Street, the hillside behind Boitanio Mall, the hillside across from the fire hall on Hodgson Road, the hillside behind Williams Lake Secondary off of Sixth Avenue  and Comer Street and below the bus depot, top side of Boitanio Park off of Proctor Street.

Weather permitting, the fire department will be carrying out controlled burning of the long grass in these areas to help eliminate potential fire hazards.

As this will produce smoke, residents are being informed so they can take necessary action to prevent smoke from entering their residences.

For more information, contact the fire department at 250-392-4321.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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