Sunday, February 17, 2019 ~ SOOKE. [Updated at 9:45 pm, and 11:30 pm on February 17]
Update 4:30 pm Monday February 18: Fire damage at the concrete facility is estimated at about $500,000 including equipment.
~ West Shore Voice News [Reporting by Mary P Brooke remote and Chelsea Kirkpatrick onsite]
Around 5:30 pm this evening a commercial structure fire was called into the Sooke Fire Department. There were about a dozen 911 calls reporting smoke, says Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount.
The blaze was reported as on Edward Milne Road, which Chief Mount reports as in a concrete-manufacturing site (later confirmed as South Island Concrete Products Ltd, 6228 Sooke Road) behind the Edward Milne Community School.
“Fortunately, there are no concerns related to our high school site in Sooke either from the fire or smoke,” said SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson. “We are very grateful to the fire crews who responded quickly and so capably,” he said this week.
There were a few explosions from fuel in hydraulic equipment as the fire gained momentum. As a fully-engaged commercial industrial fire, all flammable materials were in fact burning at one point, explained Chief Mount. Sooke Fire Rescue had their ladder truck and three engines on site.
The investigation continues. Crews and equipment will be on site until around midnight, says Chief Mount. In daylight on Monday morning, the fire chief and an investigator will return to assess the scene. “But with this amount of damage we likely won’t be able to find anything (as to the cause of the fire),” he told West Shore Voice News this evening on site.
“The fire on Edward Milne Road was not related to any of the work being done by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” the Ministry said this week.
Earlier this evening (around 8:15 pm) Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount posted on Twitter:
“With the support of our Mutual Aid neighbours Sooke Fire Rescue has a commercial structure fire under control on Edward Milne Road. Fire crews limited exposures to further damage. Fire Investigators are on scene to investigate. Crews overhauling the damage and working hotspots.”
Mutual aid agreements are held with Otter Point, Metchosin and other fire departments. Otter Point Fire brought additional water. There is no fire hydrant near the site; the new Tim Hortons site will have a fire hydrant, says Chief Mount, and that future developments as they come on stream will be assessed better for hydrants being in place.
There was support from East Sooke Fire and CRD Water, said Mount. Utility trucks brought food and water to the firefighters.
The fire chief emphasized that no one was injured.
Edward Milne Road runs right along in front of Edward Milne Community School (the SD62 high school in Sooke), parallel to Sooke Road (provincial Highway #14).