South End firefighters were called out in the dinner hour to a fire at an empty house at the end of Arnhem Road in North Cowichan.
The street is off Lakes and is near an active development site.
The call came in at 6 p.m. as a structure fire.
About a dozen citizens watched firefighters work near the scene while others gathered along Lakes Road. Firefighters used a ladder truck to get water on the roof while others were tackling the flames from the inside.
The fire quickly spread despite the firefighters’ constant work. Crews looked for an additional hydrant from which to draw water without using one that would require the closure of Lakes Road. The ended up running a hose from a hydrant on Trillium Terrace, through some neighbours’ homes and to the scene.
It’s not yet known what caused the fire.
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