Firefighters battled a risky blaze in a Chemainus warehouse Thursday morning that contained a cannabis-growing operation, residential suites and stash of ammunition.
More than 45 firefighters were on the scene from five fire departments and they initially attacked the blaze from the outside before moving inside. A store of ammunition started “popping” as the crews knocked down the interior fire, said Martin Drakeley, chief of the North Cowichan department.
He said the bullets went into the roof as the gunpowder inside the shells burned and created “a lot of extra heat.”
“We kept everyone back,” Drakeley said. He said the bullets did not come out in full force as the powder burned off, but “they’re still projectiles.”
The calibre and number of bullets has not been determined.
No one as injured in the fire, but two residents of the building have been displaced, Drakeley said.
Fire crews from Chemainus, Oyster River, Ladysmith and Mill Bay were also fighting the blaze and providing supports. A ladder truck from Ladysmith Fire Rescue was initially used to fight the fire on the exterior.
Drakeley said bylaw officers are checking and confirming whether the warehouse at 3444 River Rd. was a legal operation.
He said the fire inside the two-storey building was difficult to fight as the interior was divided into several rooms.
“Each time we opened a door, the fire would change direction … the fire became difficult to track,” he said.
“We had a difficult time with the heat and the smoke … there were lots of walls and different areas.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but fire inspectors are on the site as crews mopped up the fire in the early afternoon.
Fire crews arrived to heavy smoke pouring out of the building at 9:45 a.m., and the fire was down by 1 p.m.
