The Esso gas station in Bowser, the only such facility in the community, was destroyed overnight by a fire which fully engulfed the property. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

overnight blaze

VIDEO: ‘It was terrifying:’ massive fire destroys Bowser gas station

Dec 7, 2022 | 12:10 PM

BOWSER — An overnight fire completely destroyed a long-standing gas station serving the community of Bowser.

The Esso on Hwy. 19A just north of Coburn Rd. erupted into flames during the late evening of Tuesday, Dec. 6 bringing multiple local fire departments to the scene in an effort to control the fire.

Local resident Michelle Bruhn and her husband watched on helplessly as flames shot upwards of 60 feet into the air.

“It was terrifying in a sense because it was so big. When we first got here it was incredibly big, they managed to get it under control I guess within an hour or so. We got here around 10 p.m.”

Bruhn heard a few minor explosions as a result of the fire.

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Efforts from firefighters weren’t enough to save the building. Both the gas station and an attached two-vehicle garage were completely destroyed.

One area resident told NanaimoNewsNOW several vehicles were stored in or around the fire and were also burned.

Bruhn added emergency crews kept everyone well back.

“We weren’t allowed close because they were working really hard to get it down because the flames were going back. They were trying to make sure they saved all the buildings around. The highway was blocked and the ambulance attendance were keeping everyone at bay on the north end, then the south end had lots of lights.”

Flames shoot up around 60 feet in the air at times from a gas station fire in Bowser late Tuesday night. (submitted photo/Michelle Bruhn)

She added the owner of the business, who was on scene Wednesday morning and declined to speak to reporters is “a wonderful fellow” and was upset about how the fire would impact him and his staff.

David Moase from Deep Bay Fire Department was on scene and said the building was fully engulfed by fire when his crews arrived, with attention quickly turning to preventing it from destroying neighbouring buildings.

“All the departments were working together, Bow Horn were taking the lead, they were in charge of the scene. We were trying to protect this north side, there was some kind of RV in there and in behind that there were some tires…we were trying to protect all that.”

Multiple departments attended the scene and successfully limited the spread to other properties.

Flames shot high into the sky after 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night from an aggressive fire at the Esso station in Bowser. (submitted photo/David Moase)

No injuries from the fire were reported.

Efforts to extinguish the blaze lasted several hours.

“We were here until somewhere between 1:30 and 2 in the morning,” Moase said. “Bow Horn stayed and did the final clean up at the end and monitored it overnight.”

Crews from Shaw Communications were on scene Wednesday morning, attempting to restore connection for its customers in the region.

Bow Horn Bay Volunteer Fire Dept. stated it’s unclear how the fire started, but it’s believed to have ignited in one of the vehicle repair bays.

More than 60,000 gallons of water was used fighting the fire.

Highway 19A re-opened in the area at about 3:30 a.m.

Outages of all services were reported in the Bowser and Fanny Bay areas, with no estimates for repairs listed by the company.

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