UPDATE: The fire is now classified as being held after burning up 2.3 hectares. Read more .
PREVIOUSLY POSTED: Firefighters are putting out a bush fire only a few hundred metres from homes near the Nanaimo River.
B.C. Wildfire Service was notified of a fire at about 12:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Four personnel and a helicopter were dispatched to the scene near Nanaimo River Road and McDonald's Road, and crews from Extension and Cranberry volunteer fire departments are on scene.
The fire is listed as 0.6 hectares and is on steep terrain.
Residents helped direct firefighters to the fire site and opened access to their properties to allow fire apparatus to move as closely as possible to bring in equipment and water to battle the flame. One resident said she saw the fire burning on both sides of the river, but that was not confirmed.
Two men from Parksville who came to the Nanaimo River to cool off with a swim found themselves helping firefighters get into the site and set up equipment to battle the blaze.
"Basically, we showed up for a swim and the next thing you know we saw smoke and firefighters are running down and [asking] 'Do you guys know the trail? Can you help us?' and we guided them down the whole trail," said Desmond Smith. "We were a little more nimble than them so we were throwing the hoses down and getting the pumps down to the water. It was crazy seeing them in action."
Saul Hillis said the firefighters quickly set of a "train" of personnel to relay equipment into position and get it into service.
"They're on it, for sure," said Hillis. "We knew the trail really well 鈥� it's a very steep rock face 鈥� so they were on top and on bottom setting up all the technical stuff we know nothing about and they were [saying] 'Take this pump down there 鈥� take this hose down there.' I ran the hose down, ran the hose up, relieved tension, you know, basic stuff. Yeah, it was quite surprising. We just want to go for a little dip."
The men said their favourite swimming hole is where the fire is burning and they wanted to do what they could to protect the area from burning.
Efforts to control the fire are continuing.
More to come.
Firefighters from Extension, Cranberry and volunteer fire departments and BC Wildfire helicopter battling bush fire near Nanaimo River west of MacDonald Road.
鈥� Chris Bush (@ChrisBushphotog)
Fire just a few hundred metres from homes.
