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Truck brings down power lines, starts small brush fire on Malahat

The truck brought down power lines on the Malahat on Thursday afternoon. Skilled Truckers Canada

RCMP on Vancouver Island say a commercial truck travelling on the Malahat with a crane extended snagged power lines, causing a small brush fire and the closure of the highway for several hours.

Mounties said the truck brought down poles and lines over the highway and South Shawnigan Lake Road.

The incident occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Thursday. Shawnigan Lake RCMP responded to the area of South Shawnigan Lake Road and the Trans-Canada Highway.

Power poles and hydro lines came down over both lanes of the highway and both lanes of Shawnigan Lake Road.

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“The incident sparked a small brush fire on the shoulder of the highway which was quickly contained by a civilian with a fire extinguisher,” Cpl. Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for the BC RCMP, said in a release.

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“The investigation determined a crane truck, traveling north on the highway, turning left onto Shawnigan Lake Road, had the crane extended, which resulted in the truck snagging lines and pulling them down over both roads. A total of five hydro poles were broken/compromised.”

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RCMP said two other commercial trucks were caught in the downed lines; however, there were no reported injuries.

The highway was closed in both directions for hours, but has since reopened.

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