About $250,000 to $300,000 damage was done to the Westwind Motel in Bowden as a result of an early morning fire on the morning of September 5.
Members of the Bowden Fire Department received an alarm at 4:33 a.m. and responded with all the department’s equipment, said Larry Werner, Bowden’s fire chief.
“We responded and we called Olds up to give us a hand, (as well as) Innisfail and Red Deer County. When we got on scene the flames were already coming through the roof of the building,” Werner said.
Olds brought its aerial truck as well as a pumper, while Innisfail brought a pumper and tanker and Red Deer County brought a tanker to aid in fighting the blaze. About 30 firefighters in total responded to the fire.
Firefighters got the blaze under control by about 5:40 a.m.
A total of four occupants of the motel were evacuated. The Canadian Red Cross provided lodging, food and other necessities for the four evacuees for 72 hours. The Red Cross is also working with Family and Community Support Services and the Town of Bowden to provide support to the evacuees, said Edward McIntyre, coordinator of disaster management from the Red Deer office.
“We’re working with FCSS and the Town of Bowden to help find other assistance for them to carry on,” he said.
The Red Cross acts as an auxiliary to municipalities in a disaster, providing food, clothing, shelter and personal items.
“We help them on the road to recovery by referring them to other agencies and working with the municipalities and the services that they have to get them back on their feet,” he said.
"When we got on scene the flames were already coming through the roof of the building."
Larry Werner, Bowden fire chief
