Firefighters are once again urging the public to respect their equipment after a number of drivers decided to run over a fire hose outside a burning business in Burnaby Tuesday night.
The flames broke out at a landscaping company warehouse on Byrne Road around 5 p.m., and had to be handled especially carefully because of how much fuel was stored in the building.
"Lots and lots of gasoline located in the area and lots of other flammable liquids – herbicides and pesticides," Asst. Fire Chief Gavin Summers said.
Crews managed to knock the fire down quickly, but their efforts weren't helped by the people who were caught on camera driving over a fire hose at the scene.
Summers described the behaviour, which put one firefighter in hospital last month in Vancouver, as "extremely dangerous."
"We find that highly irresponsible," he said. "We have people going into that building, putting their lives at risk to actually knock down this fire, and their water supply is from that hydrant and it's critical that we have uninterrupted water supply."
Driving over a fire hose could cut the supply completely, Summers added, but even a short interruption puts crews at risk.
"They could perish in that fire if they don't have their water supply," he said. "Our job is to protect your property and save lives, and we need you to help us out as best you can by making sure you respect our fire area when we are working it."
Driving over a hose is illegal in B.C., and anyone caught doing it faces an $81 fine.
Several such incidents have led fire crews to speak out this year, beginning with the accident in January that left a firefighter with extensive lower body injuries.
A suspected drunk driver ran over a fire hose and dragged it down Hastings Street, knocking the firefighter over.
