A homeowner’s workshop was in ruins after a fire ripped through the detached structure at a house on Elk Road in Saanich on Tuesday.
Saanich Fire was alerted at about 4:15 p.m. Firefighters who left from Fire Hall No. 1 at Vernon Avenue could already see the smoke from the blaze.
They found the 60-by-30-foot structure behind a house on Elk Road going up in flames, with reports of explosions, possibly from propane tanks.
The fire department dispatched three engines, a rescue, a tanker and a ladder truck to assist in the blaze.
“We emptied the hall on this one. We have 19 firefighters on this fire,” said Cpt. Tony Scherer, platoon captain.
The crews deployed more than 1,000 feet of supply hose along the length of the 4800 block of Elk Road because of a lack of fire hydrants and used two relay pumps to maintain water pressure from the nearest hydrant on Interurban Road.
The fire was put out by 6 p.m. but a second shift of firefighters arrived to relieve the first crew in tackling remaining hotspots.
“The roof has collapsed and there is still material burning under that rubble that we can’t get water to,” he said. “The second crew will be here for as long as it takes.”
The smoke was still thick in the air as a woman walked from the house and down the street. She did not want to talk.
Another woman walking by, who did not want to be identified, said she felt bad for the homeowners, who had lived in the same house for at least 23 years.
She believed her neighbour’s husband was a cabinetmaker who ran his business out of the destroyed outbuilding.
“It’s so sad, that was his livelihood,” she said. “They are such nice people.”
Saanich Fire said there were no injuries to the occupants nor firefighters.
The fire caused Elk Road to be closed for several hours.
