Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Multiple Chilliwack Fire Department crews and engines were dispatched at about 4:49 a.m. Thursday morning (July 11) for a brush fire along the Vedder River, south of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School in Chilliwack. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Brush fire along Vedder River

Update: Vedder Rotary Trail near Peach Park has reopened after Thursday morning log fire along the Vedder River

Jul 11, 2024 | 5:49 AM

**Update at 4 p.m. Thursday: The Vedder Rotary Trail has now reopened as of 3:20 p.m. Thursday.**

**Update at 10:30 a.m.: The log fire did not spread to the surrounding trees around the foreshore of the Vedder River. As an excavator works to separate the burned logs, Chilliwack firefighters are spraying them down this morning. The Vedder Rotary Trail remains closed between Peach Park and just east of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School. It might reopen this afternoon.**

Original story below:

CHILLIWACK — A log fire broke out along the Vedder River early Thursday morning (July 11), just south of Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School, prompting a swift, significant response from the Chilliwack Fire Department.

Engines 1, 4 and 3, Tenders 3, 4 and 6, Air Support 4, and the Chilliwack duty chief were all dispatched for an initial call of a “brush fire” that came in at about 4:49 a.m. Fraser Valley Today received a copy of the initial dispatch recording.

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Columns of grey smoke billowed from logs along the foreshore of the river and could be seen for several kilometres in Yarrow, Sardis and the surrounding area.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch

One tender staged at Peach Park while another tender staged at Stitó:s Lá:lém Totí:lt Elementary-Middle School. Additional units were dispatched and responded.

Multiple Chilliwack Fire Dept. trucks were stationed along the Vedder Rotary Trail in a strategic location to attack and suppress the fire.

Firefighters told dispatch at about 5:40 a.m. they would require an excavator, and City of Chilliwack public works would need to be notified.

Engine 4 (South Sumas Fire Hall) has been cleared from the log fire as of 6:09 a.m., and Engine 3 (Yarrow) is standing down at 6:09 a.m.

The fire appears to be fully knocked down as of 6:33 a.m. Fire crews are waiting for an excavator as of 6:33 a.m., per scanner traffic.

More information to come as it becomes available.