A small fire in a tree proved tough to snuff in Bowen Park Monday.
Firefighters responded at about 4 a.m. to the blaze, which had burrowed into a hollow tree near a paved pathway connecting Riverside Drive and Bowen Road near Howard Avenue.
Allan Millbank, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer, said crews had to lay about 100 metres of hose to attack the fire and used more than 4,000 litres of water and fire suppression foam to fully extinguish the fire.
"The crews had to use a saw to open the tree up because it had a rotten interior and I guess it had burned up the stuff on the inside of the tree," Millbank said.
He said the fire was possibly sparked by a discarded cigarette.