Victoria firefighters thwarted a severed gas line spewing fire at a home near Quadra Village on Friday (May 2) afternoon.
Victoria Fire Department was called out to a home on Blackwood Street for reports of a natural gas smell, upgraded to a residential structure fire before crews even left the hall.
The first crew on site, before seeing any flame, immediately noted heat waves and heard “jet-like sounds” from a gas leak that had ignited, Victoria fire said on social media. With no ordinary combustible materials involved, the flames produced no smoke. Firefighters immediately secured a water source while simultaneously deploying hand lines and applying water to the home to prevent it from catching fire.
“A one-inch high-pressure natural gas line was acting like a blowtorch, aimed directly at the house,” the department said. “The gas line was fully severed, allowing an unimpeded flow of natural gas directly toward the Blackwood Street residence. It is unclear what initially ignited the gas.
The quick response likely saved the home, the department said.
“In an effort to minimize damage, crews also monitored the house for water exposure, setting up water diversion to avoid basement flooding. Neighbouring homes were monitored as well, to prevent runoff-related damage,” the post reads.
Fortis BC arrived within 15 minutes but shutting down a line takes time, so fire crews continued cooling exposures with hose lines and allowed the gas to burn for roughly 1.5 hours until additional Fortis crews arrived on scene.
The natural gas team located the underground gas main and dug access to clamp the main.
