Brian Robertson was cutting metal in his workshop last Thursday Oct. 16 at approximately 2 p.m. when he decided to go back home for lunch. His workshop is located at the far end of his property, 1.5 km west of Burns Lake. As he was home having lunch, he said he noticed some smoke coming out of his workshop. Robertson ran in the direction of the fire to try to save his equipment, but his attempt was unsuccessful and he ended up with minor burns on his face.
The Burns Lake Fire and Rescue department responded with 12 fire fighters, taking them approximately three hours to extinguish the fire. Fire chief Jim McBride said he thinks the sparks that originated from cutting the metal could have been the cause of the fire. He said that with that amount of volatile material in the workshop, the fire fighters couldn't save any equipment. Robertson lost two boats and some heavy work equipment. However, his residence was not affected.