Firefighters from three departments on the Saanich Peninsula worked through the night to prevent a hilltop house fire from spreading in North Saanich.
North Saanich Fire Department captain Adam Elia said that crews were initially dispatched shortly after 1:30 a.m on Sunday for reports of a house fire on Highview Place near the top of Cloake Hill.
Fire crews from North Saanich arrived to find a house “fully involved” in flames, he said.
Crews from Sidney and Central Saanich were called in and about 30 firefighters battled the fire for three hours before it was extinguished.
The house is a “complete loss” but the residents were able to evacuate without incident, Elia said.
Due to the intensity of the fire, crews concentrated their efforts on stopping it from spreading to adjacent homes as well as the nearby forest, Elia said.
Crews laid about 2,000 feet of high-volume fire hose so that there would be enough water to protect the properties, he said.
The North Saanich Volunteer Firefighters Association said firefighters had to extinguish flames in some trees and shrubs that had caught fire due to heat radiating from the house.
Central Saanich police deployed an aerial drone to help monitor fire conditions.
North Saanich fire crews are remaining on scene for most of Sunday to monitor the scene and to put out any remaining hot spots.
An investigation on how the fire started is ongoing.
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