By Dan Marshall / Dominic Abassi

UPDATE: Lantzville Foothills fire under control, into clean-up stage

Aug 23, 2016 | 8:53 AM

NANAIMO — Crews from several fire departments made good progress on a brush fire burning in the Lantzville Foothills Tuesday.

Lantzille Fire Rescue is the lead on the fire, but were helped throughout the day by Nanaimo Fire and crews from the BC Wildfire Service’s Coastal Fire Centre.

The CFC’s Donna MacPherson says the fire, which was discovered Tuesday morning on Vipond Road near Brennan Lake, was 95 percent contained by 4:30.

The District of Lantzville stated via Twitter at 6:15 Tuesday evening that the fire was 100% contained and that crews would return in the morning for clean-up.

It grew from 0.5 hectares to 0.8 throughout the afternoon, according to MacPherson.

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Lantzville Fire Chief Rob Chatton says reports of smoke started coming in around 6:45 Tuesday morning.

“Locating the fire was difficult because we had an idea of where it was, but didn’t know exactly,” said Chatton.

He says once they found it, the winds starting coming up.

“The fire started to spread pretty quick, so we immediately contacted BC Wildfire branch and they sent out air support and three attack crews.”

He says thanks to the help and the work of their crews, they were able to get a handle on things pretty quick.

Chatton notes it’s on some steep terrain in a heavily wooded area.

The fire, according to Chatton, wasn’t really spreading much by late in the afternoon.

The challenge in an area like that, he says, is water. “We could actually get close to the flank of the fire with our 4×4’s, but we had to lay in about a 1,500 foot water line which took a bit to setup.”

MacPherson says they had more resources on the fire late in the day than they did in the morning, noting they were assisting with 9 firefighters, an officer and a helicopter.

Chatton credits firefighters for their hard work in difficult conditions.

EARLIER: The brush fire discovered this morning in the Lantzville foothills is continuing to grow.

Donna MacPherson with the Coastal Fire Centre says their crews are assisting the Lantzville Fire Department and Nanaimo Fire Rescue in fighting the blaze.

“The fire is now .8 of a hectare in size but it is 50% contained,” said MacPherson.

“It’s in an area that has some fairly heavy rocky outcroppings and heavy timber. 

So it’s a little slow going but our crews are making pretty good progress.”

Mark Holland, the developer of the Foothills property, was at the scene and he notes that not a lot of people use that area.

“It’s a pretty remote part of the site, it’s down closer to the edge of where the Regional District and the Brannen Lake area comes into the foothills area, which is the south part of the community of Lantzville. It’s a fair way from any homes, it’s in a slope area,” said Holland.

MacPherson says they don’t know what caused the fire, but there have been lightning strikes in the area recently.

She wouldn’t rule out the possibility it may have been person-caused.

The Lantzville Fire Department confirmed they sent three trucks and a command vehicle to the area, with the CFC has brought in six firefighters, one fire officer, and one helicopter to the scene.

EARLIER: Details are still coming in about a brush fire near Brannen Lake.

According to the Coastal Fire Centre’s Donna MacPherson, it’s .5 of a hectare in size and burning in the area of Vipond Road, in an area MacPherson describes as the Lantzville Foothills.

She says the Lantzville Fire Department is on scene with assistance from the CFC. 

There were reports of people smelling smoke coming in from all over Nanaimo Tuesday morning.

The Coastal Fire Centre sent six firefighters, one fire officer, and one helicopter to the scene.

Lantzville Fire has three trucks and a command vehicle fighting the blaze, while Nanaimo Fire Rescue has confirmed via Twitter they are also helping with the brush fire.