NFR were able to quickly extinguish a truck which caught fire on the Nanaimo Parkway, just north of the Northfield Rd. intersection shortly before noon on Monday, March 4. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

truck fire

Nanaimo Parkway truck fire slows Monday lunch-hour traffic

Mar 4, 2024 | 12:51 PM

NANAIMO — Traffic on one of Nanaimo’s busiest routes temporarily forced to a halt due to a truck catching on fire.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue (NFR) crews responded to reports of a vehicle on the Nanaimo Parkway’s northbound slow lane just north of the Northfield Rd. intersection on Monday, March 4 shortly before noon.

The impacted four-door pickup was fully engulfed in flames by the time crews arrived, causing the northbound lanes to be shut down for about a half-hour.

Emergency responders elected to temporarily close the Nanaimo Parkway’s northbound lanes between the Northfield and Third St. exits. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Northbound traffic on the Parkway was opened to reduced single-lane movement at around 12:30 p.m. as a tow truck worked to remove the burnt-out vehicle.

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As of 1:00 p.m. the burned truck had been removed and Nanaimo Parkway northbound traffic flow was returning to normal.

NFR assistant chief Stu Kenning said crew aboard the initial fire engine to respond called for reinforcements just to be safe as it was a fairly substantial fire.

“They did call another engine to bring more water just in case. The fire was extinguished with one engine and we had a backup just in case it didn’t go out.”

He said the driver and lone occupant was not hurt, while it’s unclear how the fire started.

“There were no injuries on the scene and the driver was fine,” Kenning said.

Substantial damage to the impacted truck resulted from the fire. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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