Pumper Truck Blows Up While Fighting Several Fires on Bell Island

Wildfires continue to rage throughout central Newfoundland following another hot and dry weekend—but it’s not just central feeling the burn.

Bell Island and the Town of Wabana are down a fire pumper truck after a busy weekend battling a number of fires throughout the town.

Mayor Gary Gosine says they received calls for some seven or eight different fires over the course of Saturday and Sunday that led to one fire truck going up in flames.

Gosine explains that while crews were at the scene, the fire got so hot it caught the muffler and exhaust system and blew up the pumper truck.

The Mayor says they have reported to the RCMP and insurance, and are hoping to get things straightened out and a new pumper truck for the town. However, he’s not sure how long that will take.

He says until it’s replaced, they’re without a major piece of equipment to fight a fire, and the truck that burned was one used at forest fires and bigger blazes.

In a surprising twist, Gosine believes the fires on Bell Island may not have been from natural causes.

He says he doesn’t think all the fires they had over the weekend were natural wildfires, and blames some on arson.

Gosine says people need to understand the damage a fire can do, and now they’re left without a major piece of equipment and security for people on Bell Island.