Ness Lake Bible Camp fire a mystery
January 4, 2012 Frank PEEBLES
Citizen staff - fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
The origins of the New Year’s Eve fire at Ness Lake Bible Camp were consumed along with the gymnasium.

Fire investigators informed The Citizen on Tuesday that the cause will forever be written up as inconclusive but foul play is not suspected, nor were there any hijinx by the youth who were there that night.

Ness Lake Volunteer Fire Department chief Paul Davenport said camp staff had an accountability protocol in place that not only verified the whereabouts of everyone at the camp that night, but also gave incoming emergency responders the clear message that no one was injured or missing.

Since his own son Braden, 15, happened to be one of the youth at the site that night, this was no small relief, he said.

“The staff had a very effective emergency plan. Everyone was marshalled together by the time we arrived,” he said.

Also effective, said Davenport, was the mutual aid system set up by the regional district. As chief, he called that system into action even before his crew had finished assembling, knowing the building and layout of the camp.

Contingents from the volunteer departments at Beaverly, Buckhorn and Pilot Mountain came to help.

“It went from nothing, when someone walked through and turned out the lights, to blowing the windows out of the building within 10 minutes of that,” Davenport said. “It ran through the building extremely quickly. When we arrived the flames were well above the treetops. My main concern upon arrival was the fire would get into the trees and endanger the whole camp.”

Firefighters knew the moment they arrived that the gymnasium - built of wood - was unsalvageable. They set to work reducing the heat and protecting the area around the inferno.

Car parts were melting off the vehicles parked in the adjacent parking lot, and several buildings were close to the fire.

“I think it was a miracle the dining hall only received superficial damage, and the cabin closest to the fire was still standing with no fire extension into that building,” he said.

Every incident presents unique circumstances, Davenport said. In this case, a large electricity feed led into the fire so limited suppression could be done until BC Hydro gave them the all-clear that the power was off.

Escape routes for the firefighters and their vehicles also had to be strictly established and enforced, due to the danger of the fire suddenly flaring up at other sites around the camp.

Firefighters worked at the scene for eight hours until all was out, then more time was spent upon their return to hall, getting the crews and equipment ready in case some other fire broke out in the Ness Lake area.

Davenport characterized the responders at this fire as a clear example of unpaid professionals demonstrating their training.

“I have the utmost respect for these volunteers, for all they contribute to the community,” he said of his crew and those who came to their aid.

The only casualty other than the building itself was the event planned for the next day at the camp. The region’s annual Polar Bear Dip, some say perhaps the hardiest polar splash in Canada as swimmers leap into a hole cut in the solid sheet of Ness Lake ice, has been postponed.

The Ness Lake Volunteer Fire Department is usually there for that event, suited up in drysuits serving as precautionary rescue personnel for all the Polar Bear Dip participants.

Davenport said he looked forward to doing so when the camp felt it was time to host the popular event once they were back on their feet.