A family out for a walk on the Trans Canada Trail were able to help stop a grass fire from flaring up into a larger forest fire, on Chilliwack Lake Road Saturday.
Tim Yochim posted on Facebook following the events, explaining how he and his three visiting children were looking for a place along the river to swim. They parked near Foley Creek Forest Service Road, and walked east for about 15 minutes, when they noticed smoke head.
Initially, they were just disappointed someone would have a campfire at this time.
"As we drew closer, we could hear some loud crackling and realized there was a fire burning in the forest," he wrote. Fire crews were called, and the fire was extinguished quickly. But the call had to be made by one of the witnesses newer-model iPhone, which has satellite 911-service capabilities.
The fire was in the trees, at a point where the trail meets Chilliwack Lake Road. So while they worked to report the fire, someone else pulled over who was able to drive down and call 911 once they got to an area with cell reception.
Another driver gave Yochim a ride back to his vehicle, and he and his son were able to drive to the small neighbourhood right before Chilliwack Lake where they met up with residents.
"Two neighbours there grabbed some fire extinguishers and shovels and followed us back," he said. "The fire had about doubled in size by the time we returned. They used the fire extinguishers on the larger flames and my son and I used the shovels."
He said they had it "contained" within about 10 minutes, just as they heard the sirens from the fire truck.
"Soon after we could hear a helicopter arriving," he said.
He said they could not figure out exactly how the fire started, as the closest campfire pit had nothing burning it. They did see a box of tissues sitting on a log directly beside the fire.
Chilliwack Fire Department reports the call came in around 2:25 p.m., a few hundred metres east of Ford Mountain Correctional Centre. Crews with Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department asked for more firefighters to be called to the scene.
The fire was called in to BC Wildfire Service. It was later reported that it was not in the Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department's service area and that Coastal Fire Centre with BC Wildfire Service would be responding with a helicopter and two trucks.
Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department arrived on scene before Coastal Fire Centre and reported the blaze was about 50 by 150 feet in size and "pretty contained."
Shortly after the Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department got there, firefighters on the ground stated that the helicopter had arrived. BC Wildfire Service had the fire listed as under control and under .05 HA by Monday, July 22.
-with files from Jenna Hauck, Chilliwack Progress
READ MORE: Helicopter, emergency crews called to wildfire in Chilliwack River Valley
