After a structure fire outside Olds, firefighters are urging rural residents to follow proper regulations for burning garbage. That means always ensuring fires are not left unattended and are fully extinguished with water before leaving them.
The fire, on Rge. Rd. 24 about a mile and a half north of Highway 27 in the Hainstock area, was called in at about 3:55 p.m. May 24 and is estimated to have caused about $40,000 damage. It was called in by neighbours who saw the smoke.
There were no injuries.
The fire is believed to have been accidentally started, possibly due to a burning barrel.
The resident of the property was not home at the time of the fire and was notified of the blaze.
"Upon arrival, crews found a working fire involving an RV, a shed and various yard waste that was impinging upon a machinery shop," an Olds Fire Department news release says.
Fire crews from Didsbury and Sundre were called to help out but in the end, the Sundre crew was not required, thanks to a "quick knockdown of the fire," the release says.
Eighteen firefighters were on scene for two and a half hours in order to bring the blaze under control and investigate its cause.
Ambulance personnel were brought in to help firefighters deal with heat stress while fighting the fire.
For more information on regulations regarding the burning of garbage, residents are asked to visit www.mountainviewcounty.com and click on the fire permits and regulations tab.
