Volunteer fire department in Oliver, B.C., burned by theft of fuel

OLIVER, B.C. – For the second time in six months, thieves have stolen hundreds of dollars worth of fuel from a volunteer fire brigade in B.C.’s south Okanagan.

Willowbrook Fire Department Chief Brad Fossett says someone broke the locks on the department’s diesel tanks on Nov. 10.

He says nearly 500 litres of diesel was siphoned, a theft he says is “as low as you can go” because the Willowbrook department, just outside Oliver, 40 kilometres south of Penticton, is dedicated to serving area residents.

Fossett worries the thefts will deplete the budget of the tiny, rural department.

He says it must replace the approximately 1,000 litres of fuel stolen during the two robberies, and it must also pay thousands of dollars to install a surveillance system.

No arrests have been made in either theft. (CKOR)