A late afternoon blaze destroyed a workshop and the artifacts of Bob Sebastian’s 50-year hobby.
The fire in the 1300 block of the Trans-Canada Highway on the eastern edge of Sorrento was called in at 5:28 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, says Columbia Shuswap Regional District fire services co-ordinator Kenn Mount, who was at the scene Wednesday morning.
Describing it as a residential property with an outbuilding, Mount said Sebastian was doing some grinding work on one of the antique vehicles, when sparks ignited the upholstery.
Because the vehicle was up on a hoist, it caught the roof on fire,” says Mount, noting a cedar tree next to the workshop not only caught fire but was candling quickly.
“The shop was totally destroyed – the primary walls are still intact but the roof collapsed.
The fire, which also destroyed vintage gas pumps, classic signs and containers and very expensive tools, was so intense its heat could be felt inside the Sebastian residence, located some 30 feet from the workshop.
Mount says credit for keeping the house from going up in flames goes to the members of the Shuswap Fire Department.
Some 25 firefighters from the Sorrento and Grier Road firehalls responded quickly with all available apparatus.
This included two engines, a water tender, command vehicle and a mini-rapid intervention vehicle, a pickup truck with a pump and compressed air.
“Both halls were deployed and all were on scene very quickly,” says Mount. “One of the challenges was the long, narrow driveway that made getting equipment in very challenging.”
Other challenges included live power lines, which BC Hydro deactivated immediately after the 911 call and gas lines, which firefighters shut off themselves.
Firefighters were on-scene mopping up for almost four hours.
While sick at heart over the loss of so many personal, prized antique possessions, Sebastian and his wife, Alice, are extremely grateful to the firefighters, first responders and everyone else who showed up to help.