According to our County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere your Bentley Fire Department has been the busiest in Lacombe County with 22 emergency calls in under 2 months!
In the early morning hours on March 25 firefighters were sent to the Bentley Care Centre where the alarm company had reported the system had been set off. No smoke, heat or flame was detected so crews contacted maintenance and inspected the panel. No alarm had been sounding and the scene was left in the care of the maintenance personnel.
Shortly before noon on March 27 seven members were sent to another alarms call at a Bentley residence. The homeowner was changing out the batteries which triggered the alarm. Non-emergency.
On March 29 at 5:22 pm crews were sent to Highway 771 and Two Rd 420 north of Bentley where a snowmobiler and passenger had gone off the high bank and plummeted to the highway ditch far below. Both were injured and were treated by EMS at the scene while fire crews closed the road for a time. Firefighters drove both ambulances to hospital while the patients were cared for during the trip.
At 11:06 am on March 31 eleven members responded to a structure fire on RR 2-0. Eckville FD was called for Mutual Aid. A detached shop was on fire and the homeowner had opened up the burning area to help with access. No one was inside and crews used water and foam to extinguish the blaze and soak the remaining hot spots.
Shortly after 10:00 pm on April 3 firefighters were sent to Twp Rd 400 and RR 1-2. A few young individuals were enjoying a small bonfire and crews put it out while encouraging them to return to their homes.
On April 5 at 7:47 pm 18 members were called to an accident on highway 12, just west of Woody Nook Road, where a pickup truck had crossed the westbound lane and hit the north ditch, ending up on its roof. Firefighters helped the injured driver out of the vehicle to be attended to by EMS. Traffic was carefully managed and debris and fluids cleaned up before crews were released by the RCMP.
At 6:35 in the morning on April 13 firefighters responded to a compressor fire west of town and just north of Hwy 12. The compound’s alarm had alerted personnel and when they arrived they noticed fire visible inside the building. The attendant closed the main valve and called 911. Upon arrival the fire had put itself nearly out and firefighters extinguished the rest using water and foam. Thankfully no one was injured.
On April 21 at 11:38 am another alarms call came in, this time in Lake Trail Estates. The smoke detector in the furnace room had activated, sounding the alarm. The alarm company notified the homeowner who called 911. The entire home was inspected using the thermal imaging camera and no heat, smoke or fire was present so the resident was advised to replace all the smoke detectors which were out of date.
On the morning of April 23 several members arrived at a 2-vehicle accident on Highway 20, immediately north of Highway 12. One northbound vehicle suddenly U-turned and collided with another northbound one. The two patients were immediately seen to while traffic control was quickly set up. EMS examined both patients and miraculously neither was badly injured nor required transport to hospital. The scene was cleaned of debris and crews were released later by RCMP.
At 8:17 pm on April 24 crews were called to a Mutual Aid with Eckville for a structure fire in their area. Units were stood down once Eckville established they had the emergency under control.
On April 28 at 12:30 pm fire crews were sent to a controlled burn at an acreage east to town on Highway 12A. The two burn piles were being monitored but the wind had shifted, sending flames to the surrounding treeline and fence line and making things somewhat exciting. Wildland hoses, water packs and brooms were used to fight this fire and it was brought under control and extinguished. A burn permit was in place so the burn piles were left in the homeowners’ care.
Midafternoon on April 30 members were sent to Hwy 771 and Two Rd 41-0, where a grain truck and a pickup had collided in the intersection. All 3 occupants had gotten themselves out and were examined by EMS. The driver of the grain truck had no apparent injuries and was able to drive the truck home, while the other truck was towed from the scene. Traffic was managed during this time and the roadway was cleaned of debris and fluids.
On May 2 at 2:16 pm sixteen members were sent to assist Lacombe with a fire at a rural farm. A small burn pit had shifted and set a nearby garage ablaze, which led to a large densely treed hillside being set alight. Over 5 hours was spent fighting this fire before the dozens of hot spots were finally extinguished.
On the way to this fire call, the firefighters in one of the trucks responding witnessed a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Hwy 12 and RR 28-1. The crew stopped to assist patients and once the Rescue unit arrived on scene the initial unit continued on to Lacombe’s fire. Traffic control was quickly established while BFD crews and EMS assisted the driver of the motorcycle. RCMP released firefighters shortly after and they proceeded to the fire scene in Lacombe.
At 9:53 pm on May 4 crews were sent to RR 2-5 west of Bentley, where a truck had collided with a cow elk. Both occupants were out of the truck and were checked over by EMS. One was transported to hospital. The elk on the roadway was very dead and was removed by a helpful farmer with a tractor working nearby. The truck was still drivable and was taken home a short distance away. Debris and fluids were cleaned up and firefighters were released by RCMP.
During the lunch hour on May 5 nine members responded to a report of an outside fire at RR 1-2 and Two Rd 400. This was called in by a passerby who didn’t linger. On arrival two individuals were found but no sign of any fire.
On May 7 at 4:31 pm crews were sent to a rural residence west on Highway 12. A side-by-side carrying two people had rolled, injuring both. They were carefully helped to the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.
At 3:58 pm on May 8 members responded to a 2-vehicle accident at the intersection of Hwy 12 and 52 Street. A northbound truck and an eastbound SUV had collided. Traffic control was immediately set up at the busy intersection while all 3 patients were attended to. Both drivers were transported to the hospital.
On May 9 at 10:58 pm crews were sent to assist EMS with transporting a patient to the ambulance at a rural residence east of Bentley.
On May 12 over lunch hour 12 members raced to an outside fire at an acreage north of town on Hwy 20, near the Forshee Hall. A vehicle being worked on had fired up and caught on fire, engulfing it and igniting the surrounding grass and quickly making its way to the house. The resident had tried putting it out but it had gotten away in the stiff breeze. The neighbour was also fighting it from his side where a full diesel rig was parked. Fortunately, crews were able to bring the fire under control just as the house had been reached. Fellow firefighters were on their way from Eckville and were stood down just as the fire was brought under control. Several vehicles were destroyed but no one was injured (pets or people).
On May 16 firefighters were sent to a Mutual Aid call to Eckville, and were stood down en route.
And finally, at 1:46 pm on May 17 ten members responded to a call of an accident on Hwy 12, near RR 2-5. A single vehicle had left the road and rolled into the south ditch. Once again traffic control was established, the patient was cared for until EMS arrival and debris was cleared from the road while firefighters helped package and load the patient for the trip to the hospital. We also want to thank the several people who kindly stopped immediately after the accident to help. Your assistance is very appreciated!