Crews from North Cowichan’s Maple Bay and South End fire halls rushed to a home on Belcarra Road in Maple Bay on Monday morning to find a lovingly crafted Christmas display on the front lawn and a a compact car completely ablaze in the driveway.
Neighbour Alanah Downie said she heard the commotion before she saw it.
“I heard two explosions before looking outside to see where the noise was from,” she said. “The car was fully engulfed.”
Downie called 911 and said the operator told her they were receiving multiple calls.
Downie added that although the vehicle is destroyed, to the best of her knowledge, nobody was physically hurt, and that once the fire was out and the crews had returned to their respective halls, one of the owners was outside taking photos of the wreck, being helped by some other neighbours.
“I’m sorry about their car but so grateful they and their home seem safe,” Downie said. “They got very lucky.”
Firefighters began leaving the scene around 10 a.m.
Martin Drakeley, fire chief and senior manager of bylaw services couldn’t immediately be reached for comment but this story will be updated once more details become available.