The flame from a propane torch set off a landscape fire that nearly set a mobile home ablaze in north Nanaimo on Wednesday.
Firefighters rushed to Sharman Mobile Park on Metral Drive at about 5:10 p.m. after a home owner, who was using a propane torch to eradicate weeds on his property, caught his landscaping on fire. The resulting blaze spread under the mobile home.
“The gentleman was using a tiger torch to kill off some weeds a little too close to his home, which got some plastic ignited, which made its way underneath the trailer,” said Kevin Lillingston, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer. “With a burning ban in effect and no open flames, it definitely wasn’t a good idea.”
#Fire #Nanaimo Firefighters at north Nanaimo mobile home park. Fire under mobile home. Under control. Fire started in landscaping. pic.twitter.com/mFV0DpJdCN
— Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin) July 13, 2017
Lillingston said there is a city bylaw provision that allows for the city to issue fines in such instances, but so far no fine has been issued.
“The fire was contained to the underneath portion of the trailer. It didn’t actually get into the trailer itself,” Lillingston said. “Luckily it was fairly minor. The gentleman managed to knock it down with a garden hose.”
Capt. Ennis Mond, chief fire prevention officer, said in 17 years as a fire investigator he can recall about a half dozen instances where propane torches used to control weeds started fires in hedges and have even inadvertently ignited structures.
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