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Coldstream fire crews quick to knock down blaze

Fire broke out just before 2:30 p.m. on Matner Lane, which is just up the hill from the firehall on Aberdeen Road
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Coldstream Fire Department was quick to arrive and knock down a fire Sunday, May 16, in a Matner Lane orchard just up the hill from the firehall on Aberdeen Road. (Jennifer Smith - Morning Star)

A couple of teenagers learned a valuable lesson about weather conditions and heat sources Sunday, May 17, in Coldstream.

The pair were doing weed mitigation with fire in the yard of their rental home on Matner Lane just before 2:30 p.m. when the wind kicked up.

“The fire got into a pile of debris sitting there,” said District of Coldstream protective services coordinator Keith Green Tuesday, May 19. “It then got into a rusted out old truck from probably the 1950s that had a tree growing through it, then into trees behind the truck.”

The wind shifted again and the radiant heat from the fire ignited a fifth wheel being stored on the property, one that appeared to have not been used for a number of years.

Green happened to be conducting a session on structure protection with firefighters at the Coldstream Firehall when the call came in. The crews didn’t have far to go as the hall is just down the hill from Matner Lane on Aberdeen Road.

“They did a great job of knocking it down in a hurry,” said Green. “They saved a shed, some brand new apple bins and some electric lifts used for picking.”

Nobody was hurt and the blaze has been ruled accidental.

This story was updated Tuesday, May 19, with more information

READ MORE: Grassfire burns across from Vernon college



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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