A chimney fire at the 17 Mile House Pub on Sooke River Road sent staff and guests scrambling into the parking lot at about 4:05 this afternoon.
One staff member said that it was the staff at the adjacent liquor store that first alerted the 17 Mile Pub staff to the fire, prompting some of the staff to take to the roof of the building with garden hoses in an effort to control the potentially hazardous fire.
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“We were called in at about 4:10 and responded with our joint response group, with units from Sooke and adjacent municipalities all responding,” said Chief Ken Mount of the Sooke Fire Rescue Department.
“The firefighters were able to access the roof using Sooke’s aerial truck and everything is now under control.”
Chief Mount noted that while there had been a lot of smoke emanating from the fire, none of that smoke had made its way into the structure and no smoke damage has been noted.
“We had a great response from everyone and it was fortunate that we caught it in time.”
The 17 Mile House is a historic structure built in 1894 by Edward Cutler from whip-sawn lumber and hand cut nails. It is an iconic location in Sooke and a favourite of travellers along Highway 14.
mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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