Volunteer firefighters in Naramata, B.C., are used to dousing flames, but this week the department had to put out a fire of a different kind.

The web address for Naramata Fire Rescue, which expired in 2012, was snapped up by an adult website. Clicking on the old domain now brings up a website full of raunchy porn.

"I felt quite disgusted. I felt like a victim," said Naramata fire chief Tony Trovao.

"I felt like the department plus the community was made to be a victim real fast."

He said the new site has absolutely nothing to do with the fire department.

'Domain snipping' common and legal

The process of re-registering an expired domain, commonly known as "domain drop catching" or "domain sniping," is not only common but perfectly legal.

Thousands of domain names are recycled this way every day, according to a statement from the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

“This is not something a fire department, or a community of good people, for that matter, should have to deal with,” said Mark Pendergraft, chair of the regional district’s board of directors.

Naramata Fire Rescue Service ran its own website from 2003 until 2012, when the volunteer department moved its website to myNaramata.com and let the old domain fall by the wayside. Shortly thereafter it was snatched up.

"[I was] totally caught off guard because we haven't had it running for two years. So I would have never thought that would have taken place," said Trovao.

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen said it is working to sever the connection between the old domain and the current content of the site.