Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle
A travel trailer parked in a storage lot off Sawmill Road in Oliver was destroyed by fire on Saturday.
But that was only part of the problem for firefighters who had another challenge on their hands – getting to the scene more quickly amid traffic slowdown.
Firefighters were called to Hemlock Street near Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Services at 12:50 p.m. on Aug. 20 for a fire involving a travel trailer that was fully engulfed in flames.
Black smoke billowed high in the sky as crews raced to the scene. A few blasts from a water hose extinguished the fire, and by 1:07 p.m., crews were in the mop-up stage.
Fire department spokesman Rob Graham said the trailer was not occupied.
The fire spread to some vinyl products but was knocked down quickly by first arriving units.
Graham said it is suspected that during some maintenance on the trailer, an extension cord became pinched in a closed door and shorted out, causing an ignition.
Responding crews encountered traffic in front of the fire hall and some slowdown on the way to the scene, Graham said.
In a post on Facebook, the fire department reminded the public to stay clear of trucks and the fire scene.
Several people were taking photographs and video at the scene while parked nearby.
“When you see smoke and/or flames, please stay clear of the area. It is not the time to get a cool picture for your socials,” the post said.
“Units were having issues driving through all of the traffic that had gathered to get a look at the scene.
Not only does this pose a massive safety risk to our responding crews, but also to those that are driving into an already chaotic scene.”
The fire department said this caused a delay in needed resources.
“Keep in mind, people’s lives can be on the line and you may be delaying the resources needed to save that life.”
The department urges the public not to be a part of the problem by being in the way.
