Estevan fire crews responded to a wildland fire last Thursday and also were busy with other duties.
In the afternoon of July 1, firefighters were called out to a wildland fire occurring north of Estevan on a farm property. When crews arrived on scene, the fire was still active and growing fast.
"We were able to get in and suppress the fire, thankfully the wind conditions were taking the fire away from outbuildings and the residential structures that were on the property itself," said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.
Crews spent three hours on the call. They were able to successfully get the fire under control and then extinguish it. The homeowner was warned to keep an eye on the area to ensure there wouldn't be any more fires occurring.
"There were a few hotspots that remained and the landowner was monitoring and taking care of the hotspots to ensure that there'd be no significant flare-ups," Feser said.
The investigation into the cause of the fire showed that the first ambers came from a burning barrel that was utilized some time earlier.
"It was active the night previous, the ambers were still warm in there and the wind swirled the ambers out of the burning barrel and deposited them into some unburned vegetation, which caused the fire. But thankfully there were no injuries and no loss of any structures on the property itself," Feser said.
On July 4 crews responded to a residential fire alarm occurring within the city limits. Once on scene, firefighters found that it was cooking-related and there was not enough smoke remaining in the building for any ventilation efforts.
The following day, at about 11 a.m., firefighters responded to a carbon monoxide alarm that went off in the southcentral part of Estevan. The homeowner left the building prior to the firefighters' arrival.
"She had indicated that the alarm had gone off once the night previous and then went into a steady alarm. That's when she had placed the call. Crews did go inside the house to find that there was no carbon monoxide present whatsoever. We took a look at the carbon monoxide alarm itself, and there was a faulty backup battery that was the cause of the alarm," Feser explained.
The batteries were replaced and the device was put back into service.
On July 2, firefighters also brought the engine out to Senchuk Ford to support the STARS Air Ambulance road tour fundraiser.
"We had a crew with an engine on-site there to promote that event. It seemed to be very well attended," Feser said, adding that the generosity of the community was once again through the roof.
On July 2 and 3, firefighters also were busy at the Estevan Motor Speedway, providing race track duty rescue services.
Estevan firefighters were also gearing up for an extreme fire danger index, however, the rains Monday morning greatly improved the situation.
