Firefighters in Peace River were kept quite busy this weekend. Crews put out a fire on Friday night, one on Saturday, and two on Sunday. The only injury reported was to a firefighter, who suffered a minor injury fighting the fire on Saturday. No property damage was reported.
The fire on Friday night was beside the Misery Mountain Ball Diamond, where upon arrival, firefighters found a large pile of logs and brush on fire with no one in attendance. The fire was put out quickly, and crews were back in service in two hours.
On Saturday at 5:30 in the afternoon, crews responded to a fire close to the area between the Peace River Hospital and the Weaver welding property on the West side of Peace River. The Weberville Fire Dept. and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry fire crews came to assist Peace River Fire Dept. after wind threatened to spread the fire toward structures and a large fire load. A helicopter and bucket were deployed to help fight the fire where areas were inaccessible. The fire lasted for over 5 hours.
Sunday’s fires began at 4:30 A.M. at the rail tracks on the East Hill in Peace River. The fire was bordering on Northern Sunrise County, and additional crews from St. Isadore were called in, as well as resources from Weberville Fire Dept.. Residents living close to the fire were told they would need to be ready to evacuate. The fire was under control after 4 hours.
The second fire on Sunday began on the riverbanks near the Riverdrive Mall. The fire was quickly extinguished before it could spread, but created a considerable amount of smoke around the mall for a short period of time.
Peace River Fire Chief, Tim Harris, reminds residents to be cautious when using outdoor spaces at this time of year. “Now that the snow has gone, the dead grass and leaf matter are very dry, and a fire can spread very quickly if conditions are right,” said Harris. “Please be cautious with the disposal of smoking materials as well as the use of fire pits.”
While there is no fire ban in Peace River at this time, fires are only permitted in regulation fire pits that are covered by a metal screen to prevent the escape of embers. Any burning other than in a fire pit requires a Fire Permit that is obtainable from the Town Office during regular business hours.
Photo provided by Peace River Fire Dept.
