BONNYVILLE – On the evening of Jan. 18, residents of an apartment complex in the area of 43 Ave. and 42 St. evacuated their units, most in pajamas and with their pets in tow, as a result of fire extinguishers being set off on the building’s first floor.
At 9:15 p.m., Bonnyville RCMP were called to the apartment complex by a resident reporting the fire alarm had been set off and a foggy substance was in the hallway.
RCMP and Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) members attended the scene and learned that an allegedly intoxicated man had discharged a fire extinguisher “for fun, then had fled foot,” according to Bonnyville RCMP.
A resident of the apartment complex told Lakeland Today, that she and at least one other tenant on the first floor heard someone trying to open their door prior to a powdery substance being sprayed at the base of the door’s frame.
As tenants exited the building, they passed through a thick fog of monoammonium phosphate powder, most densely experienced on the first floor.
RCMP removed multiple fire extinguishers that appeared to have been discharged from the building. BRFA members then used large scale fans to clear the buildings hallways of the lingering fire suppressant powder.
"While there were three extinguishers in play, it’s my understanding only one was discharged," S/Sgt. Sarah Parke told Lakeland Today.
An 18-year-old suspect from Bonnyville was later located, arrested and brought before a Justice of the Peace for a bail hearing. He was released and is scheduled to attend Bonnyville Provincial Court on Feb. 8.
According to Dan Heney, the BRFA’s regional fire chief, none of the building’s fire alarm pull stations had been activated, meaning the presence of the fire extinguishing agent was what had triggered the alarm.
Emergency crews were only made aware of the incident when a call was made to 911 by a tenant.
“The alarm system in the building is not a monitored system, so it only rings in the building,” Heney explained.
It wasn’t until emergency crews arrived on scene and assessed the situation that they realized that the call was actually related to mischief.
Although he says mischief incidents are not common, they do happen.
“Once there, I was told what happened by a tenant who was in the parking lot, and I confirmed it after going inside and assessing the scene,” he said, adding, “A mischief call like that does tie-up resources," specifically causing an issue if another call comes in before the scene is cleared.
