It was almost business as usual at Haley Dodge SC in Gibsons on Dec. 28, just a day after a fire destroyed four vehicles on the lot and damaged a handful of others.
Gibsons Fire Chief Rob Michael said the call came in around 3 a.m. on Dec. 27 and the department responded with four trucks and 17 firefighters.
RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, and BC Hydro were also at the scene. The Hydro crew had to deal with high-voltage lines near the car lot to make it safe for the firefighters to get in and tackle the blaze. It took about four-and-a-half hours to put out.
Michael said a preliminary investigation has found the fire likely started in one of the trucks that was destroyed and spread from there, but it could take some time to determine what sparked it.
“The thing with vehicle fires, and how they burn and how hot they burn, is that it’s pretty difficult to gather evidence that points to more accurate point [of origin],” Michael said.
Luke O’Loughlin, a sales manager at the dealership, told Coast Reporter two new trucks, a truck owned by an employee, and an SUV used as a courtesy vehicle were destroyed, and five or six other vehicles were damaged.
Although the fire disrupted phone and Internet access, damage to the building was limited, which meant employees were able to return to work on Wednesday.
He said the company carries insurance that covers the inventory on the lot as well as the building.
O’Loughlin also said they’ve had tremendous support from their parent company, Lower Mainland-based Haley Auto Group, which also owns Haley GM in Wilson Creek. He said jobs at the two dealerships support “upwards of 50 families” so they were relieved that the fire didn’t forced them to shut down for more than a day.
Sunshine Coast RCMP Sgt. Chris Backus said police have opened a file on the fire, and are staying involved in the investigation at this point. Anyone with information is asked to call the detachment at 604-885-2266 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
