When a fire broke out on the edge of South Thompson River in Canada, one couple in a boat acted quickly to try to put it out in unconventional fashion.
According to Lorrie Jane, who recorded it happening and posted it to Facebook, the boat had about eight goes at spraying the flames with the water it propelled behind itself in Kamloops, British Columbia.
The footage makes for extraordinary viewing.
Crazy!!Posted by Lorrie Jane on Saturday, July 29, 2017
“I was out boating on the river with my husband Rob and our daughter,” said Lorrie. “We had seen the ‘cigarette boat’, as they are called, earlier in the day down river. These boats are known for the huge ‘rooster tail’ plume of water they create.
“Around 16:00 we were cruising up river when I noticed black smoke. The fire was on the riverbank by East Shuswap Road and there was a house just across the street from the fire.
“The cigarette boat was flying around and we realised he was trying to put out the fire with the spray from his boat. He doused it hard and did about eight roundabouts with his boat – not all of them hit but most of them did.”
Earlier in July, the BBC reported there were more than 200 fires in British Columbia’s central interior region. Thankfully it looks as though this one in Kamloops was put out early on, although it sounds like the boat took some damage in attempting to control the blaze.
“It was pretty risky as the river has come down and he was right by the river bank,” said Lorrie. “Our boat probably couldn’t get even that close as it would be quite shallow – and he did end up damaging his engine.
“A small fire truck showed up and started hosing it down, then a helicopter arrived as well. He (the man in the boat) looked stressed when he stopped and his fiancee stood up and asked if he hit it. I told them he did and everyone around stood up in our boats and applauded him.”
