FIRE – Three volunteer brigades team up to fight house fire at East Paul Lake
(Image, Facebook, Barb Zimonick)
Volunteers from three rural fire brigades teamed up today (Monday, April 2, 2018) to control a house fire at East Paul Lake that could have gotten away and spread into the trees.
More than 20 volunteer firefighters from the East Paul Lake, Paul Lake and Pinantan brigades answered the call to the fire on Cowichan Drive about 3 p.m. and worked on it for close to three hours. Unfortunately, the Panabode home was destroyed but the flames were prevented from getting into standing trees nearby.
Al Scramstad of the Pinantan brigade said a faller was called in to cut down two trees, and volunteers worked with hand tools to get at burning roots.
Scramstad, Ron Daciuk of the East Paul Lake brigade and Ed Lund of the Paul Lake brigade all credited the quick action of the volunteers with preventing a wildfire that could have burned up the slope and across Paul Lake Road.
“These guys, I’m so proud of them,” said Scramstad.
No injuries were reported.
Sincere sympathies to the owner of the home that was lost in the fire; congratulations to the brigades for stopping it from being worse than it was.
Daciuk said the East Paul Lake brigade also answered a call to Cold Creek Road on the weekend and got it under control before major damage was done.
— Mel Rothenburger, Director, Electoral Area P
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Sounds like there needs to be more discussion at the TNRD level to come up with ways to monetarily support these volunteer brigades as they help protect our people, buildings, and forests. Recent indications that the Regional District could not provide funding due to liability issues seems hollow. One can expand this concept to any activity in our region where the TNRD is involved and conclude that the TNRD should not be part of it just in case it gets sued. Where is our society heading?
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