Firefighters frustrated after 'many cars' drive over supply hose during Vancouver fire
Multiple drivers ran over a firefighting hose in South Vancouver on Friday, impacting an already tense effort to douse the flames at a two-alarm house fire.
Asst. Deputy Fire Chief Trevor Connelly said one driver eventually broke a supply line running from a fire hydrant to a truck.
"This is an extremely dangerous situation. We have crews inside that building fighting that fire who rely on that water to keep them safe," Connelly said.
"If they lose that water while they're in there, it's catastrophic."
The firefighter said they were fortunate the incident only resulted in a "partial failure," and the supply line was still useable.
The fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. at a property near Ash Street and 61 Avenue, while a number of people were inside the home. Authorities said it appears everyone made it out safely, and no firefighters were injured while extinguishing the flames.
Connelly said crews always do their best to avoid laying supply hoses across busy streets, but that wasn't possible during Friday's effort.
"Today was one of those days where we had no option but to place our hose lines on a busy street, Cambie Street," Connelly said. "Many cars – not just one or two, but many cars – were driving over our supply line, and we need people to know it's extremely dangerous."
Driving over firefighting hoses is also illegal, and Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services said it has asked police to track down the motorist who broke their supply line.
"Luckily there's some surveillance cameras in the area so we will be asking (the Vancouver Police Department) to pursue that," Connelly said.
Frustrated firefighters have issued public reminders about the dangers of running over hoses before, including back in 2018, when a motorist drove over a supply hose in East Vancouver and caused it to split, sending a geyser of water into the air.
Authorities said the hose was worth about $1,000, but the fine for driving over it is just $81.
The cause of Friday's fire has not been determined. Brandon Schell, a tenant who lives downstairs, told CTV News the upstairs unit has been undergoing renovations.
Schell said he learned about the blaze when someone came frantically banging on the home's front door.
"We were just listening to my Will Smith CD," he said. "Someone came knocking on the door and they said the fireplace, the smokestack, the chimney was on fire."
Schell said he has insurance, but is still worried they could lose all of their possessions in the fire.
"Everything we own is in the house," he said. "Some things you can't replace, right?
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.