By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

VIDEO: ‘It literally moved my truck’: witness describes explosion, fire in French Creek

Apr 28, 2017 | 2:12 PM

FRENCH CREEK — An apparent explosion at the French Creek Bakery and Cafe sent flames shooting high into the air early Friday afternoon.

It happened at about 12:55 p.m. on April 28, according to Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman. He told NanaimoNewsNOW everyone made it out of the building safely and there were no injuries.

He said the bakery is “completely gone, burned to the studs” and fire investigators are taking over the scene at the Breakwater Village plaza. Foreman said it doesn’t appear any other buildings were damaged.

A man, who only wanted to be identified as C.J., was driving by at the time and noticed the building on fire. He then heard an explosion.

“As I was passing it, that’s when it erupted. It literally moved my truck a full lane to the left, into oncoming traffic,” C.J. said. “I felt the heat through my truck window, through my arm against my face as I was covering it.”

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C.J. said the explosion startled the several motorists traveling by at the time. He said from 50 to 60 metres away he could feel his skin burn.

“Basically everybody got blown back at that point and that flame probably traveled twice the distance of the building’s width and height…it was ridiculous.”

RCMP and the Parksville Volunteer Fire Department are now investigating two fires at two bakeries within less than a kilometre of each other. Police said a Thursday evening blaze caused moderate damage to the Sandcastle Bakery, located just a short distance south of the Friday fire along the highway.

A release from Mounties said they are working to figure out if the two fires are connected.

island-news@jpbg.ca

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