Brush fire breaks out along Vedder River, near Chilliwack elementary-middle school, early Thursday morning

CHILLIWACK — A brush fire broke out along the Vedder River early Thursday morning (July 11), just south of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School, prompting a significant response from the Chilliwack Fire Department.

Engine 1, 4 and 3, Tenders 3, 4 and 6, Air Support 4, and the Chilliwack duty chief were all dispatched for an initial call that came in at about 4:49 a.m.

Fraser Valley Today heard the initial recording thanks to Chilliwack resident Julie Hiscock, who monitors overnight scanner traffic due to her graveyard job.

Pillars of grey smoke billowed from the brush along the foreshore of the river and could be seen for several kilometres in Yarrow, Sardis and the surrounding area.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch

One tender staged at Peach Park while another tender staged at Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School.

Multiple Chilliwack Fire Dept. trucks were on the Vedder Rotary Trail in a strategic location to attack and suppress the fire, which has not been fully suppressed at press time Thursday morning (5:48 a.m.).

Firefighters told dispatch at about 5:40 a.m. they would require an excavator, and City of Chilliwack public works would need to be notified.

More information to come as it becomes available.