‘Very lucky’: Abbotsford fire under control after spreading to forest

A fire in Abbotsford destroyed multiple structures, cars and boats but could have been much worse.

A large structure fire in Abbotsford’s Sumas Mountain area that quickly spread into the trees nearby was brought under control in a matter of hours Tuesday.

Firefighters say the situation could have been much worse if there was less rain and more wind.

“In all it was a really great response, we’re really lucky it worked out the way it did,” Abbotsford Deputy Fire Chief Brad Gaudette told CTV News.

Crews were first called out to Sumas Mountain Road around 4:30 p.m. for a structure fire, which ultimately destroyed a garage with a dozen vehicles inside, two sheds and a couple of boats.

The blaze spread into the forested area and help arrived quickly from the BC Wildfire Service, which sent a ground crew and helicopters to drop buckets on the flames.

About 12 people were evacuated during the fight, and thankfully no people or animals were injured.

The roughly one-hectare fire was contained by around 7:30 p.m.

“We’re very lucky that it’s happened at a time when there’s not a lot of wildfires around the province yet, so we were able to get a quick response from BC Wildfire,” Gaudette said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.