Poor road conditions and freezing temperatures posed challenges for firefighters who were called to a rural structure fire in Foothills County on Nov. 2.
Scott Young, deputy chief of the Foothills Fire Department, said crews were called at 2:37 p.m. for a fire in a rural area off Dunbow Road on the east side of Highway 2.
Although crews got there in about eight minutes, the large workshop was fully involved, and had partially collapsed upon their arrival.
Firefighters from three stations attended after the homeowner dialed 911, Young said, but the building was lost and firefighters worked to contain the blaze and extinguish the flames.
“It wasn’t saveable,” Young said.
A snowfall warning was in effect at the time, with heavy snow, wind and difficult road conditions, and Young said responding to fires in the winter brings a whole other set of challenges for firefighters, especially in rural areas.
“It's a whole different dynamic when you're doing winter firefighting,” he said.
Rural driveways can be long, and if they are not cleared, fire trucks can have a hard time getting into position to fight a blaze.
“When you're in the city, or any kind of really urban areas, the snow is typically cleared.”
That’s not always the case in a rural environment, and Young said a grader was brought in to clear a path on the driveway for fire trucks, so they wouldn't get stuck or slide off the road as they accessed the scene.
“When you get really deep snow drifts, that makes it difficult for access.”
Another challenge is trying to prevent pumps and hoses from freezing in sub-zero temperatures.
“We always have to make sure that we're always flowing water through those nozzles,” he said, “even if it's just a small amount, just to keep the water flowing.
“Our guys have to be very cognizant that the lanes don't freeze, and our pumps don't freeze.”
