The Langford Lake Fire, 1960

Goodmanson house and others threatened by a massive wall of flames

Article Length: 1,081 words, 2 images. About an 8 minute read.

On Tuesday August 9, 1960 a forest fire quickly spread that would light up the sky. It was a terrible sight.

The 'bush eating blaze' was reported in the early afternoon as it quickly swept over 30 acres of bush and trees behind the Langford Lake store and Trans-Canada Highway. The fight to get the massive blaze under control would take everyone.

The fire was about twenty feet from the house when my wife spotted it. She telephoned in an alarm. It was a fearful thing to watch the flames leaping closer (Bert Anderson, The Daily Colonist, 1960)

We were at lunch, at about 12:10pm we heard crackling and then saw a blaze of fire. Grass was burning on the hill right behind our house, and the flames came within 10 feet. (Norman B. Bell, 1144 Goldstream, The Daily Colonist, 1960)

Langford volunteer firemen were joined by Colwood fire, navel firefighters from Belmont Park, and the Forest Fire Service. The air was thick with tension as crews geared up, ready to face the roaring beast head on. At its peak it was estimated at least 80 men were at the fire line, reinforced by four bulldozers. But that would not be enough. Men, women, and even children from homes along Goldstream Avenue would join the battle…