Your Fire Department has been kept hopping this past month with 10 calls for emergency services:
At 12:38 pm on April 29 a call was received of a grassfire threatening a quonset at a rural acreage on Aspelund Road. The homeowner had extinguished the blaze but Engine and Tender continued on to the scene to confirm and speak with the landowner. The fire had come close to the building but fortunately it was indeed out and after a look around, firefighters left the scene in their care.
Later that same day at 7:45 pm fifteen members were sent to another grassfire, this time near the intersection of Highways 12 and 20. The field in the southwest corner was burning and had been called in by a passerby. This turned out to be a controlled burn with a permit in place. The scene was left in the care of the landowner.
On April 30 at 7:35 pm 15 members were called to a structure fire east of Bentley on Range Road 28-2. Blackfalds FD was immediately sent as Mutual Aid and crews arrived to a fully involved home. After speaking with the homeowner and tenant it was determined not one was in the house and a defensive attack was launched as the structure was too far gone and extremely dangerous. Firefighters spent nearly 5 hours bringing the fire under control and tearing the structure apart to access hot spots. Another hour was spent at the hall afterwards to clean all the hoses, equipment and gear.
The next morning, at 10:05 am crews were sent back to the same home as it had re-ignited. Blackfalds FD also attended. As it was now light enough out, a trackhoe was able to assist by demolishing the structure so it could be fully soaked. Members remained until no fire, smoke or heat remained, then left the scene in the hands of the forensic investigator.
On May 4 a Mutual Aid call was received from Lacombe requesting Bentley’s Tender. As it was out of service for repairs it was unable to respond.
At 11:37 am on May 4 an electrical hazard call came in. A tractor and cultivator had hit a barbed-wire fence, gone through the ditch and come to rest on the road, striking a power pole in the process. The pole had broken, sending charged lines down onto the cab of the tractor and trapping the driver inside. Crews notified Fortis who arrived and de-energized the lines, freeing the operator who was fortunately uninjured. The BFD removed fence posts and barbed wire from the cultivator and the driver was able to back it into the field to free it the rest of the way. The scene was left in the care of the power company.
On May 6 at 4:26 am crews were sent to assist EMS with a patient who was transferred from a bed to a stretcher, then carefully loaded into the waiting ambulance for the trip to hospital.
At 5:05 pm on May 8 members were sent to a vehicle fire at Range Road 1-1 and Twp Rd 39-4. This was called in by a passerby who saw a vehicle smoking on the side of the road. No vehicle was found at the location given so a search of the entire surrounding area was conducted. No vehicle of this description was ever found.
On May 9 six members responded to a call for EMS assistance at a Bentley residence. A wheelchair patient was carefully loaded onto a stretcher then into the ambulance for the trip to the hospital.
And on May 15 twelve members were sent to another vehicle fire, this time at Aspelund Road and RR 28-2. A pickup truck was involved with a fire which apparently started in the engine compartment. The owner mentioned that the brakes had been changed out earlier in the day. The fire was extinguished and thankfully no injuries were sustained.