Comox gas station engulfed in flames following crash at the pump

May 30, 2023, Comox, B.C. – A gas station in Comox, B.C. caught fire after a car collided with one of the gas pumps last weekend.

The fire began at the pump, and then quickly spread to the car, and finally to the convenience store and the restaurant.

Multiple explosions and smoke could be seen throughout the Comox Valley, and residents in the surrounding area were evacuated. One resident suffered smoke inhalation and the driver sustained minor injuries.

“A rapid response of well-trained firefighters with several fire engines from two different fire departments helped keep this fire from becoming much worse,” said Comox Fire Chief Gord Schreiner. “Several master streams were deployed. Damage was limited to the building of origin. I am very proud of our team here.”

Schreiner told the Vancouver Sun that a gas station attendant and a passerby were able to pull the woman out of her vehicle as the fire grew. He said only about three or four litres of gas were involved in the fire, which came from the pump and the hose that were hit by the vehicle.

The gas station and the restaurant attached were destroyed.

Schreiner said the main problem was the large amounts of propane in the cylinders that were stored near the pumps. The collision happened close to those cylinders and the fire burned the hose off, which released the propane and accelerated the blaze.

Investigations into the fire are ongoing.

Photo supplied by Fire Chief Gord Schreiner