Frustrated fire officials are urging the public to be on the lookout for arsonists - again - in connection to dumpster fires in the city.
Dumpster fires have become an annual occurrence in the city at this time of year. There have been numerous reports of both dumpster fires as well as grass fires throughout the Battlefords and area.
According to Robin Tomaz, deputy chief of operations for North Battleford Fire and Emergency Services, more than a half-dozen dumpster fires have broken out in the last two weeks, mainly in the 102nd to 104th street areas. All the incidents are under investigation, though no suspects have yet been caught.
Last fall, there was a similar wave of dumpster fires in the vicinity of 6th Avenue and 109th Street. That led to an arrest and charges after one suspect was caught on video setting a blaze in September.
"Usually we investigate them and try and deter them," said Tomaz. "Last year we made an arrest."
Dumpster fires prove to be more of a nuisance than anything else. Fire officials say intentionally set fires take their resources away from other serious incidents.
But Tomaz warned such fires could spread beyond the dumpster to fences and other structures and become much more serious. He urged residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity and to contact NBFES or the RCMP.
The fire department is urging residents to do three things to deter dumpster fires:
make sure areas around dumpsters are neat and tidy and garbage is stored inside of the dumpster with the lid closed;
to recycle as much as you can - cardboard and other paper products - to eliminate the amount of burnable material in the dumpster;
keep a light on in the vicinity of the alley (the back yard, garage) in an effort to deter fire starting, and to report any suspicious activity.
