What looked like a potential brush fire turned out to be a garbage fire, according to Nanaimo Fire Rescue.
Crews were responded reports of smoke streaming from a forested area near the Trans-Canada and Duke Point highways yesterday at approximately 4:30 p.m.
Greg Norman, assistant fire chief with Nanaimo Fire Rescue, told the News Bulletin that the smoke was the result of two rubbish piles set on fire near Frames Road.
“Two rubbish piles were on fire,” he said. “It wasn’t a bush fire at all.”
Smoke can be seen burning just off the Trans-Canada highway in the Chase River area of #Nanaimo. pic.twitter.com/pml47OXyHR
— Nicholas M Pescod (@npescod) September 29, 2016
In order to extinguish the blaze, firefighters had to access the scene from Frames Road, according to Norman, who said logistics were the biggest challenge.
“It was a long hose line stretch to get to it and a little bit of logistics to locate it, but once it was located it was easily extinguished," he said.
Norman said firefighters' local knowledge of the area played a key role in ensuring the fire didn’t spread.
“That’s one of the things we train for,” he said.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.