Hope firefighters spray fire retardant foam on a maintenance truck which hit a power pole near the CP rail tracks on the north side of the Fraser River - Date unknown Pattie Desjardins.

29 March 2012

Rail Accident Shuts Down Power in Hope

Hague British Columbia - A CP Rail crane truck came into contact with hydro lines at CP's Hague station on Wednesday morning. The truck was completely burned, and much of Hope was without power for the morning.
 
The overhead power lines came down across the truck. Normally people are advised to stay in their vehicle in such circumstances, due to the threat of electrocution, but the two CP employees were forced out when the truck started to burn, said Hope Fire Chief Tom DeSorcy.
 
"They are very fortunate they weren't hurt", he said.
 
Firefighters waited until Hydo employees shut off power to the lines, and only then could they attack the fire, which had already burned the truck extensively.
 
Hydro reports that 1,679 people, in the northwest section of Hope, were without power from about 9:45 a.m. until it was restored at about noon.
 
DeSorcy said an investigation will determine how the lines came down on the truck.
 
Author unknown.
 
Editor's Note:  Hague is no longer a station on Canadian Pacific's line effective 6 Feb 2003 but the name appears to have stuck locally.