Quick action by Sundre volunteer firefighters is being credited for saving a northeast residence after a barbecue mishap ignited siding on a 2nd Street house.
Shortly after 6 p.m. on March 26, homeowner Robert Grainger was preparing supper on his back deck when the fire broke out.
“I was on the deck barbecuing and everything was fine with a beautiful evening of course,” Grainger said from the scene. “Then I heard a popping noise and I went out and where the bottle connects to the barbecue the hose had come off and it was spraying propane onto the side of the house.
“It lit the vinyl siding up and it was a matter of 30 seconds and it was up into the attic. It was unbelievably quick.
“I pulled the barbecue off the deck but the bottle fell off. I couldn't get the bottle away from the house so it spewed the whole 20 pounds of propane against the house.”
Grainger and his wife escaped from the house through the front door after phoning 911.
Firefighters equipped with breathing tanks fought the fire from the house deck, roof and from inside.
The fire caused extensive damage to the side of the house and to a large section of the back roof.
Grainger commended the firefighters' action.
“The fire department got here really quick. They knocked it down,” he said.
Sundre EMS personnel were also present during the firefighting efforts. There were no reported injuries in the mishap.
Like Grainger, neighbour John Poirier commended the firefighters for their efforts.
“We could see the flames coming through the roof,” said Poirier. “We really have to acknowledge the fantastic job these volunteer firefighters did.
“The people are volunteers and they are extremely professional. They saved the house and I wouldn't have thought that was going to happen.”
Fire chief Marty Butts said, “when we got on scene the kitchen and roof were fully involved.”
Although he didn't have an exact damage estimate, he said it was certainly in the “tens of thousands of dollars”.
- with files by Patricia Riley.
