The Bentley Fire Department has responded to nine emergency callouts since our last report.
On April 24, Crews were called out to a large wildland fire west of town. The fire was in a tricky combination of grass and treed areas, with hilly terrain and difficult access adding to the challenges. Eckville Fire was called out to bring their side-by-side to help access some spots. The fire took over seven hours to bring under control, to the point where responsibility could be turned back over to the landowner. In all, an area around six acres in size was burned.
Our next wildland fire occurred on April 27. This was a request for mutual aid from our neighbors to the east in Lacombe. Bentley’s Rapid unit was put to work extinguishing a large area, while the water tender made several trips to provide water for firefighting operations. This was another long call, at over five hours.
Sparks from welding equipment started another grass fire south of town on April 28. The people who called in the fire were happy to see us arrive, as the fire had already crossed a highway when we got there. The fire was quickly extinguished using hand lines.
On May 1, crews were again called out, this time for a vehicle fire. Although the truck was a total loss, the fire had not spread to the surrounding vegetation.
A large tractor, still attached to a cultivator was fully engulfed in fire by the time Bentley units were able to get to the scene on May 6. Fortunately, the fire had again not spread to the surrounding area and the cultivator was undamaged. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A rather mysterious fire at the Aspen Beach Campground brought firefighters out on the night of May 6. A long, narrow area of brush had burned near the entrance to the campground, and a small area was still actively burning. No natural cause for the fire could be explained, so it would seem that this fire may have been intentionally set. It is extremely fortunate that the wind was blowing in the direction it was, or things could have ended badly.
On May 17, the Fire Department was toned out for a small gasoline leak. Crews were able to clean up the spill quickly.
Finally, on May 13 and again on May 18, firefighters were called to investigate reports of illegal campfires at Brewers Campground. In both cases, the fires were just propane fire pits, which are legal to use even during a fire ban.
Bentley’s Rapid, which is also what is known as a Type Six Engine, was called into service to help fight the Eagle Fire near Fox Creek on May 11. One member from the Bentley Fire Department and three members from Lacombe were deployed for eight days and worked as part of a Task force holding the fire at bay and providing structural protection for Fox Creek and Little Smoky. On May 18, this crew was relived by a second crew with members from Lacombe and Clive taking over. While the recent rains have been a blessing, the fire season has only just begun. Please be careful when disposing of cigarettes and obey all guidelines when camping.