Fire destroyed a pickup truck outside the Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital last Thursday afternoon.
No one was injured in the July 25 fire, which sent up metres-high flames and a cloud of thick dark smoke. The cause is unknown.
The people in the vehicle noticed something wrong, parked on the side of Harrison Avenue and cleared out before it was engulfed in flames.
Traffic on Harrison — the only paved road connecting Old Massett and Masset — was stopped and then slowed to a single-lane detour around the wreck after volunteer firefighters from Old Massett and Masset put out the fire with water and foam.
Police, paramedics, and BC Hydro all responded to ensure public and firefighter safety.
The pickup was parked by the northbound lane of Harrison Avenue just north of the hospital exit, which allowed traffic take a detour around the wreck using a small, unpaved loop on the ocean side of the road.
Jevan Gowler, chief of the Masset Volunteer Fire Department, said a follow-up investigation will try and determine the fire’s cause.
“It was a precarious location,” Gowler said, noting how important it is to keep that stretch of Harrison Avenue open for emergency vehicles. He said he appreciated how patient everyone was about the traffic delay.
Vehicle fires carry a risk of explosion, Gowler said. Besides smoke that is harmful to breathe, they can emit dangerous fumes for a while even after the fire is out.
“It’s very important for people to stay back until emergency services can make a good assessment,” he said.
