The Williams Lake Fire Department responded to a report of a small wildfire at a property on South Lakeside Drive on Monday, Nov. 25.
Fire Chief Evan Dean said they arrived at 4:15 p.m. and discovered the fire was burning underground, spreading through years of discarded and buried yard waste.
"The fire had originated from a small backyard burn but spread underground due to the buried hazard being unknown to the property owner," Dean said.
"As fire crews worked through the layers of debris, it became clear that the affected area was bigger than anticipated, approximately 60 by 40 feet. Given the size and the challenges posed by the cold weather and freezing conditions, a backhoe was called in to dig up the fire."
Since the fire was just outside city limits, additional tender support was requested from the Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department.
Dean said in total, 25 firefighters, two command vehicles, the fire apparatus, two tenders from Wildwood, and a city-provided backhoe were required to extinguish the fire.
Crews were on the scene for over three hours.
