Burnaby firefighters dodged a bullet fighting a fire at a warehouse in the Big Bend area Tuesday evening.
They were called to NuGreen Vancouver Arborist Supplies, located in a strip of concrete and steel-beam commercial units at 4833 Byrne Road just before 7:40 p.m.
After firefighters knocked down the blaze and the smoke cleared, they realized they had been fighting a fire next to a bunch of jerrycans full of fuel for equipment like chainsaws, according to assistant fire Chief Brian Kirk.
“They could have walked in there and that place could have gone up like a bomb,” he said. “One container of gasoline is the equivalent of one stick of dynamite, so it had the potential to take the whole place down.”
Fortunately the fire had started in another corner of the unit, Kirk said, possibly sparked by a pile of oily rags, which can spontaneously combust.
The owner of the business, who was first on scene and attempted to fight the fire, according to Kirk, was treated for smoke inhalation.
The blaze caused at least $100,000 worth of damage, according to fire department estimates.
“There wasn’t a lot of damage to the actual unit, being constructed out of steel beams and concrete, but there was a lot of loss for content,” Kirk said. “There was heavy smoke and water damage. It’s hard to say if they can clean that stuff up after it’s been subjected to all that heat and smoke.”
Ten trucks and 33 firefighters were on scene to fight the blaze.
During the incident, a number of impatient drivers drove their vehicles over the department’s fire hoses.
It’s an irresponsible move that continues to plague fire departments and endanger firefighters, according to Kirk, since vehicles can sever or pinch off supply lines leading to burning buildings.
“It’s a pretty serious business,” Kirk said.
