Hideaway burned down today

[davehicks]

The old Hideaway dive resort buildings in Browning Pass burned down today. The Hideaway has been closed for a couple of years and there was nobody present at the time. I was diving out of Gods Pocket all week, and after our first dive this morning we saw smoke billowing above Clam Cove. We cruised in to investigate and found it fully engulfed in flame!

The site was abandoned as the former operator lost the lease and left behind an environmental mess. No idea on the cause of the fire, but it seems possible some hikers were on the island and may have contributed.

 

[JohnN]

The old Hideaway dive resort buildings in Browning Pass burned down today. The Hideaway has been closed for a couple of years and there was nobody present at the time. I was diving out of Gods Pocket all week, and after our first dive this morning we saw smoke billowing above Clam Cove. We cruised in to investigate and found it fully engulfed in flame!

The site was abandoned as the former operator lost the lease and left behind an environmental mess. No idea on the cause of the fire, but it seems possible some hikers were on the island and may have contributed.
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The place has never looked better

 

[happy-diver]

As a kid I often wondered how a fire was described as razing a structure to the ground

But wow diving out of Gods Pocket, all week, how magnificent how cool

 

[Darnold9999]

That place was always a fire that just had not started yet. Did several trips to Hideaway, and was recently (last week) wondering if it was still operating. Somewhat sad to see it go, it, and the owner were "unique".

 

[rjack321]

The site was abandoned as the former operator lost the lease and left behind an environmental mess. No idea on the cause of the fire, but it seems possible some hikers were on the island and may have contributed.

Soggy waterlogged logs, barely floating on water, offshore, catch fire, in the wet season... to avoid the leaseholder having to tow them away and dispose of the environmental mess in a landfill where they belong. The owner should be in jail for arson, but its tough on fire investigators collecting evidence remotely and underwater.

 

[davehicks]

Soggy waterlogged logs, barely floating on water, offshore, catch fire, in the wet season... to avoid the leaseholder having to tow them away and dispose of the environmental mess in a landfill where they belong. The owner should be in jail for arson, but its tough on fire investigators collecting evidence remotely and underwater.

My understanding is that the government was the owner at the time of this incident.

 

[rjack321]

My understanding is that the government was the owner at the time of this incident.

It was abandoned. The BC government did not buy it or take possession willingly. They'd been trying to get the leasee to remove that floating garbage heap for at least 3 years.

 

[nadwidny]

It was abandoned. The BC government did not buy it or take possession willingly. They'd been trying to get the leasee to remove that floating garbage heap for at least 3 years.

BC Government does this a lot. They send legal documents saying "We are taking this over but Thou shalt clean it up" knowing full well that the previous owner has zero money to do so. Like all the derelicts in Vancouver. Or the Anscomb in Kootenay Lake. Then they ignore it and claim no responsibility for the clean up.

i can pretty much guarantee that the owner of the Hideway had no money to do any sort of clean up.