The Creighton Fire Dept. responded to this week’s garage blaze at Schist Lake, but residents of cottage country cannot always count on the town to dispatch firefighters.
Though Creighton rejected a formal fire protection deal with cottagers living outside Flin Flon, the town is willing to help if requested by 911 and if the firefighting resources are available.
“I don’t want anybody to get the idea that we are their fire support, one and only,” said Mayor Bruce Fidler. “We are not that.”
Added Mayor Fidler: “I’m not guaranteeing that we would be there.”
Mayor Fidler said situations where Creighton is asked to assist with a fire have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
“We’re not going to turn anybody down. If somebody’s in danger, absolutely we’re not going to say no,” he said. “But at the same (time) our first priority comes with our own residents.”
That was the case early Monday when 911 requested the Creighton Fire Dept. send help to a garage fire at the Schist Lake cottage subdivision.
Creighton dispatched five firefighters and one fire truck, leaving 15 firefighters and one truck in town in case of a local blaze.
See ‘Pretty’ on pg.
Continued from pg.
When the men arrived, it was well past 2 a.m.
“The fire was pretty much out and the garage was completely gone,” said firefighter Dwayne Wenger, who was on scene.
Wenger said cottage residents themselves had used a pump to douse the flames.
The pump was now running inefficiently, so the Creighton firefighters set up their own pump and left it at the scene.
Firefighters were on scene for about an hour, said Wenger, who agreed that a neighbourhood effort led to the fire being extinguished.
Mayor Fidler stressed that this and any future firefighter dispatches to cottage country will not cost Creighton taxpayers.
“This is not going to be a burden on taxpayers of Creighton by any means,” he said, adding that either insurance or the affected homeowners will be charged accordingly.
Mayor Fidler said he does not want Creighton’s efforts to “have any affect on any negotiations” for a full-fledged fire protection deal between cottagers and the City of Flin Flon.
Not clear
What was not immediately clear is why 911 operators in Manitoba thought to phone 911 in Saskatchewan, which in turn summoned the Creighton Fire Dept.
It has been well publicized, however, that the City of Flin Flon revoked fire protection for cottagers as of July 1, pending a potential funding deal.
Cottage association reps balked at Flin Flon’s asking price of $300 a year for every road-accessible cabin, prompting cottagers to try for a deal with Creighton.
Creighton has and continues to reject a formal agreement that would guarantee fire protection, but town council left the door open to providing assistance if possible – and if asked by 911.
“We’re not going to let anybody come into danger and say ‘no,’” said Mayor Fidler. “But we’re not going to commit to a formal agreement. We’re just going to have to look at the situation when it happens.
“Our first responsibility is to Creighton residents and always will be.”
