All things considered, the outcome following a recent structure fire was about as ideal as one could hope for in such a situation, said Sundre Fire Department’s chief.
No one was hurt and the blaze was contained to the residence without spreading any further and damaging neighbouring homes along Second Avenue NE, said Marty Butts.
On Sunday, Feb. 24, the department received a report of a chimney fire around 10 or 11 p.m., which was confirmed as soon as responders arrived on the scene, he said.
“It was a long day and a cold one,” he said.
The fire had reached the attic of the house, which was an older structure that has been renovated several times over the decades. Battling fires in older homes that have undergone numerous additions and renovations can be more challenging because of the added layers of structure that volunteers must first get through before finally reaching the blaze, he said.
“That makes it difficult for firefighters to gain access to the source of the fire,” he said, adding that in these situations volunteers have to cut and tear their way through anything obstructing the fire.
But responders were able to get a handle on the fire before it could get any worse, he said, tipping his hat to the crew, adding that they did a good job battling not just the blaze, but the extreme conditions as well.
“It was a good outcome.”
Although the house was damaged enough that the family renting the property had to be relocated due to smoke damage and holes in the roof, the structure can be recovered and the chief said the owner intends to repair the home.
Fortunately, both the tenants and the owner were covered.
“Everybody had insurance, which is a good thing. I’ve been to calls where renters and owners don’t have insurance.”
Additionally, a functional smoke alarm raised the alert and ensured the occupants were able to safely evacuate, he said.
“All in all, it was a good call — nobody got hurt, people had insurance and smoke alarms were in place,” he said.
“Things worked as they should have.”
While evidence pointed to the chimney as the most likely cause of the fire, Butts said an investigation was still ongoing last week. Most commonly in these scenarios, he said a buildup of soot blocking the smokestack triggers the fire.
“But that’s not yet determined in this case.”
The winter for the department has so far been roughly on par with last year, when numbers increased over previous years, he said.
“The call volume’s fairly high,” he said, adding there is on average almost one call a day.
Those include everything from motor vehicle collisions and structure fires to medical calls — which are among the most common — as well as false alarms and even carbon monoxide alerts, he said.
Considering the extended cold snap the area has endured recently, the chief said he was pleasantly surprised there have not been more carbon monoxide alerts and chimney fires reported. Before the Feb. 24 chimney fire, there had not been any such incidents for several months, he said.
“That’s good to see, since people are usually burning more wood in the winter.”
