Firefighters are responding to a fire in the empty Pioneer Square building on Mill Bay, along the Trans-Canada Highway.
The Mill Bay Fire Department confirmed at around 12:30 p.m.
Witnesses in the area passing by saw heavy smoke coming out of the structure as firefighters arrived. Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the building.
The video shows flames firing from the roof of Pioneer Square to Mill Bay. Drive BC says southbound TCH closed without estimating reopening due to fire. pic.twitter.com/uszAyuVCEZ
– CHEK News (@CHEK_News) May 27, 2022
After initially closing the southbound lanes of the freeway, Emcon Services said around 2 p.m. that it had closed the northbound and southbound lanes, essentially closing the route connecting the south with the center of the Vancouver Island. Drivers should expect major delays.
There was a detour available on Cobble Hill Road and from Shawnigan Lake Road to Shawnigan Road, said Drive BC.
** CLOSED ** # BCHwy1 @ Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Rd due to a structural fire. Expect significant delays. Effective Detour Via Cobble Hill Rd to Shawnigan Lake Rd. Large vehicles should take W.Shawnigan Lake Rd. #ShawniganLakeBC #MillbayBC @DriveBC pic.twitter.com/GZg8ZDw1IX
– Emcon Services Inc., South Island Division (@EmconSouthVI) May 27, 2022
Drivers in the area said CHEK News traffic was stopped in both northbound and southbound directions on the freeway.
The Cowichan Valley School District tweeted that some families in the far south of Mill Bay would have to wait for bus delays due to the fire.
This is the third time the building has been set on fire in the last six months. In February, Mill Bay Fire responded to a fire similar to the walled building. Another fire broke out in the building in late November 2021.
“It was very damaged and it really became a point of interest for people to come in and vandalize it even more,” said Mill Bay resident Shari Fujimoto. “We’ve been talking for a long time that it would be nice to destroy it and clean it up and now I guess that’s going to happen.”
This is a developing story. More to come.
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