Multiple fire departments responded to a grassfire sparked when a resident was mowing some tall grass on their property.
Fire crews were dispatched shortly after 2 p.m. today (July 14) to a property northwest of Qualicum Bay, just off Highway 19A.
“When we arrived, we had the grassfire spreading in all directions, we had a hydro pole involved and a large log pile involved,” said Mark Taylor, deputy fire chief for the Bow Horn Bay Fire Department.
Crews quickly brought in water tenders and brought the fire under control, according to Taylor.
“The houses and structures were never in any danger. The fire is fully under control and we’re doing wetlining all the way around the edges and just kind of making sure that there’s a firebreak,” he said.
The Coombs-Hilliers, Dashwood and Qualicum Beach fire departments also responded to the incident, said Taylor.
The resident was cutting the grass in an effort to reduce the fire risk, when the fire broke out.
“The gentleman that I spoke to didn’t recall hitting any rocks,” said Taylor, who said 2021 was looking to be the worst year for fires in the area since 2018. “With how dry it’s been, no rain for weeks on end and it’s super dry — fire risk is high.”
He recommended residents cut any tall grass near their house and remove wood piles to reduce the fire risk.
