One man was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for smoke inhalation and observation after firefighters responded to a bush fire Tuesday.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue responded to the fire, near the Nanaimo Parkway about one kilometre south of the Mostar Road intersection, at about 12:30 p.m.
Alan Millbank, Nanaimo Fire Rescue fire prevention officer, said the area burning was about 18 metres by 12 metres in size when firefighters arrived.
“They used about 700 gallons of water on it and they found a man needing medical attention there who was, let’s say, not mentally sound and was beside the fire seeking [B.C. Ambulance Service] assistance,” Millbank said.
There was an encampment set up where the fire started. The man, who was found nude at the site, is suspected of intentionally setting it, Millbank said, but because of the man’s circumstances, charges are unlikely.
Millbank said with a stretch of hot dry hot weather on the way the public must be extremely careful about discarding cigarettes and other smoking materials.
“We’ve been responding to a lot of bark mulch fires along the roads caused by cigarettes,” Millbank. “We’ve had quite a few (fires) in homeless camps already.”