The rapid response of firefighters and workers at Pioneer Log Homes east of Williams Lake to prevent a log pile fire from spreading to other piles in the yard is being credited for saving the construction site from being destroyed.
The fire on the west side of the building site at 1527 Old Cariboo Highway 97 (Mile 153) was reported to the 150 Mile House Volunteer Fire Department just after noon Monday and after a mutual aid request fire crews from City of Williams Lake and volunteer departments in Miocene and Wildwood were also dispatched to the scene.
They spent nearly half a day dousing the burning logs until the fire was fully extinguished at about 11:30 p.m. Monday. No estimate has been determined on the cost of the logs lost in the fire, which was confined to one large pile covering an area estimated at one hectare.
“We had all hands on deck, BC Wildfire attended as well and site staff were a big part of the process cooling logs that were not on fire and protecting those exposures,” said Cariboo regional fire Chief Roger Hollander.
“They did a great job being able to protect the wood piles in conjunction with the 150 Mile Fire Department incident commander in charge of the overall scene. The staff also had the ability to use heavy machinery to pull apart those log piles and that assisted with being able to suppress the fire.”
There was a light wind blowing at the time the fire started, Hollander said, which likely contributed to the intensity of Monday’s blaze.
“The important part is that it was contained to that one pile and didn’t go to other piles in the area in addition to structures, of course the main office, and they’re in the process of building a log home,” Hollander said. “It could have been a lot worse. Kudos to the agencies.”
There are no hydrants at the site so fire crews used the Discovery Tourism Centre hydrant in nearby Williams Lake to fill their trucks while water tanks tendered back and forth to the fire scene. That drain on the public water system stirred up sediment and resulted in temporary discoloration of water from taps in the area.
Hollander credited the volunteer firefighters who put in a long shift fighting the flames in hot and smoky conditions.
“These members worked from around noon to 11:30 p.m. and if it wasn’t for the volunteers stepping up in the community they wouldn’t have these members on scene,” said Hollander. “When you get into long hours of firefighting it takes a toll on personnel. Those people had to be hydrated and food was brought in.
“People often take it for granted that these are full-time firefighters. They’re dropping what they’re doing at their regular work to show up for these things, so I certainly encourage anybody to join their local department.”
Although the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, a photo posted by Scott Nelson on Facebook shows a section of burned grass on the adjacent berm next to the still-burning log pile. The company reportedly conducted prescribed burn operations last week but Hollander could not confirm if the cause was related to that.
“I do know there’s burning in the area and that certainly will be part of the investigation on whether it contributed to the fire or not,” Hollander said.
The Cariboo Regional District will be enacting Category 2 and Category 3 bans on fires as of noon Wednesday. In anticipation of the bans, residents and businesses in the area this spring have purposely lit controlled or prescribed fires to lessen the fire risk and some of those fires have gotten out of control, resulting in emergency calls to the district’s 14 volunteer fire departments.
“I do know that this is the season to burn prior to the bans coming in place,” said Hollander. “This is the time when it’s dry, right after the snow melts, you have that time before green-up when people are permitted to do that burn on their properties prior to the restrictions coming into place.
“BC Wildfire has regulations as far as having enough machinery and personnel and not to leave any sites. Cariboo Regional fire departments have been responding to many fires in the area where folks have not been able to control their fires. We’re looking forward to the restrictions and hopefully things will calm down before they usually get worse in August.”
Pioneer Log Homes is world-renowned for its log home projects featured on the weekly reality TV show Timber Kings on HGTV Canada and Discovery Channel. Started by Bryan Reid in 1973, the family-owned business has as many as 200 employees during its most active construction period. The company is also known for supporting charitable causes in the region, including in Prince George.
“There’s obviously a lot of eyes and optics on this particular fire because of their show and a lot of people are aware of them ” said Hollander. “They certainly have been in the community a long time and I know they’re heavily involved in the Williams Lake community and have given a lot of support for local organizations.”
