SURREY, B.C. -- A blueberry farm in South Surrey has been destroyed after an early morning fire Thursday.
The flames broke out around 2 a.m. at the Arjan Partap Farm, on King George Boulevard, not far from Colebrook Road.
“First arriving crews were met with a large fire of a barn structure with several outbuildings also on fire,” said Assistant Fire Chief Ben Dirksen, Surrey Fire Service.
There was no nearby access to water so it was upgraded to a third-alarm fire.
Large plumes of black smoke and massive yellow flames could be seen shooting into the sky.
“We had our tenders come and they relayed water to our units who were fighting the fire. And then we laid a line about 2,000 feet of hose to the closest hydrant and established a water supply,” explained Dirksen.
There were two people living on the property, but they escaped uninjured.
Their house suffered minor damage, but because the power was disconnected from the property, they’ll be unable to return home for several days.
One large barn and three smaller out-buildings were burnt to the ground.
There was so much debris, crews had to bring in an excavator so they could access hotspots.
Colebrook Road between King George Boulevard and 152nd Street was shut down as firefighters did their work.
The closure caused delays for commuters that use the route to get onto Highway 99.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and officials haven't said whether it appears suspicious.
