Parksville Fire Rescue Crews action a vehicle fire near the gas pumps of the Gas N Go service station in south Parksville. (Image Credit: David Bolten)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

close call

Parksville fire crews quickly handle gas station vehicle fire

Jun 23, 2026 | 1:27 PM

PARKSVILLE — Regularly scheduled training allowed Parksville Fire Rescue crews to promptly snuff out a potentially high-risk gas station fire.

It happened at the Gas N Go service station on the Island Hwy. at the south end of Parksville, with 911 calls indicating a structure fire at the service station on Monday, June 22, at about 7:45 p.m.

Cam Cruickshank, Parksville Fire Rescue assistant chief, said they had multiple trucks around town for training sessions, which allowed for a fast response.

“The customer had come and filled up, and when they went to move their vehicle after filling, they noticed it was running a bit rough, so they pulled off to the side; there was some kind of failure in the engine compartment.”

Crews hooked into a hydrant across the highway, temporarily disrupting traffic, Cruickshank said

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“There were some exposures, the building was about 10 to 15 feet away, there’s also a propane filling station, one of those large vertical propane tanks, that was about 10 feet away, so some hazards right off the beginning.”

No damage was reported to the service station building, Cruickshank said.

He noted a small grass fire on the property erupted and was quickly knocked down.

A pair of gas station extinguishers were used initially before fire crews arrived, but Cruickshank advised against this approach given the potential risk of an explosion.

“They operated the extinguishers quite well, but in those situations sometimes it’s better just to stay away — it’s not worth the risk.”

No injuries were reported.

Cruickshank said gas service stations are highly regulated, with numerous safeguards to mitigate on-site fires.

“There’s not a lot of gas actually stored in the pump, it’s in underground storage tanks…The quicker get a knockdown, the less damage is caused to other exposures; in this case the building and propane-filling facility.”

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Parksville fire crews quickly handle gas station vehicle fire

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