ST. PAUL/ELK POINT - Firefighters from across the St. Paul and Elk Point area braved extreme temperatures and conditions as they battled two fires in the area, one day after the other.
On Monday, the Elk Point Fire Department was called out to a barn fire near Stoney Lake. St. Paul Fire was also on scene, helping with the firefighting efforts.
St. Paul Fire Chief Trevor Kotowich confirmed that St. Paul was called out to provide assistance and to shuttle water. Having sufficient water when battling a fire in a rural location is always a big challenge, says the chief.
Kotowich is among those responsible for investigating fires in the area. He noted the cause of the fire is likely accidental. Heavy equipment did have to be brought in to contain the fire, and the building, which was being converted into a shop, was a total loss.
“It was completely destroyed.”
The Lakeland has been in a deep freeze for about a week now, with temperatures hovering around -30C, and colder with the windchill taken into account. The biggest challenge battling fires right now "is the weather," says Kotowich.
The next day, it was the St. Paul Fire Department that was requesting assistance from other departments while battling a fire in the Lac Santé area that completely destroyed a home.
The Lac Santé area is between the County of St. Paul and County of Two Hills, and is one of the farthest areas in the SPFD's response area. The location about about 30-km from the fire hall in St. Paul.
The weather was about -27C on Tuesday, but with the windchill, conditions were closer to -40C. The fire occurred on a lakefront property, and the wind coming off the lake was noticeable.
Rural firefighting always has its challenges, says Kotowich. If the weather had been different, the department could have tried to draw from a static source, but instead firefighters had to do a shuttle service to get the water needed to battle the blaze.
The SPFD called in the Ashmont Fire Department and the County of Two Hills Fire Service to help haul water.
"At that temperature, even flowing water freezes," says Kotowich. He adds that unfortunately, the property, which was a house, was a total loss. While an investigation is underway, there is nothing suspicious about the fire.
There were 15 firefighters on scene battling the blaze, and five firefighters were back at the fire hall in St. Paul thawing out equipment and filling things up. External heat sources were provided by the County of St. Paul for both fires.
When asked how the firefighters handle the extreme cold, Kotowich says the firefighters - who are primarily volunteers - really didn't complain about the cold.
Due to public health measures in place, the fire department meets over Zoom for its weekly meetings. Last Thursday, Kotowich says he reminded members to take an extra minute to ensure they are dressed properly when responding to a call.
"You still get cold," says Kotowich, but, it's the firefighting equipment that appears to be the bigger challenge..
"It’s really really hard on equipment when it’s this cold," he says, adding some minor things do need to be repaired now, but nothing major that would prevent the department from heading out again if a call comes in.
Be careful
Of course, the fire chief would prefer not to respond to any calls, and encourages people to "just stay put" in the extreme cold.
There is a lot of demand on heat and electrical outputs during cold weather, and while neither of the recent fires were caused by unsafe practices, he still asks people to make sure they do regular maintenance, as required. People should inspect chimneys, dampers and vents to make sure they are operating properly and there are no blockages.
He also asks people to be careful when using space heaters, and ensure there is proper ventilation, and properly functioning carbon monoxide and fire detectors.
