NFD crews respond to fire at Nelson Tramway Car Barn
By Nelson Daily Staff
Nelson firefighters were kept busy Tuesday afternoon responding to a pair of calls — one dealing with an elevator rescue and the other a small fire at the Streetcar Barn next to Lakeside Park.
The report of a fire alarm at the Nelson Tramway Car Barn came in at 3:14 p.m.
The on-duty crew was enroute to an elevator rescue at the time of the Streetcar call forcing dispatch to divide resources to allow a response to both locations.
Assistant Fire Chief Michael Daloise said in a media release when the officer arrived on scene with the engine there was smoke in the building of the Tramway Car Barn.
Daloise said despite a large amount of smoke coming from the building, the officer was able to do an interior investigation to determine the location of the fire when the additional members, dispatched from home, arrived on scene.
An interior attack on the fire was initiated when the seat of the fire was located.
The fire appears to have originated in an area below the floor that the tram cars are stored on.
In all, Daloise said seven firefighters responded to the incident with two fire engines, one tender truck, and two utility vehicles.
No injuries were reported as a result of this incident. Damage is estimated at under $500 although the potential for a large fire in the old building was significant.
Daloise said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but appears to have possibly been caused by some welding work that was being done earlier in the day.
Nelson Fire Rescue would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to never hesitate to call the fire department if you smell or see smoke.
Early detection is the key to limiting fire damage.
