The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
With the City of Flin Flon no longer sending firefighters to cottage country, some cabin owners are taking fire protection into their own hands. A Bakers Narrows resident tells The Reminder that some cottagers have been buying large water pumps. In the event of a structural fire, the pumps could be used to draw water from the lake and hopefully douse the flames. There are manufacturers that produce pumps designed for do-it-yourself fire protection. Cottagers represent a key market for these companies. The Ontario-based One Stop Fire Products advertises a 'home firefighting pump kit' appropriate for cottages and small homes. 'Provide fuel' The kit includes a portable high-pressure fire pump, hose and related accessories _ 'All you have to do is provide fuel and a water supply.' The kits range from $2,095 to $3,475. For $4,070, the company sells a 'Floto-Pump' that 'is suitable for properties with needs beyond a basic fire pump.' It can shoot a stream of water over 85 feet. At least some area cottagers owned such equipment even before the city ended cottage fire protection a week ago, on July 1. Not everyone sees such equipment as an adequate replacement for trained firefighters, of course. See 'Hope' on pg. Continued from pg. Area cottagers have also discussed the feasibility of starting their own fire department, as has been done at the Paint Lake cottage subdivision outside Thompson. Some still hold out hope a fire protection deal can in time be reached with the City of Flin Flon, which wanted each road-accessible cottage to pay $300 a year for the service. Many cottagers felt the asking price was too high, but the city appears unwilling to accept any less. The city's pulling of fire protection marks the end of a decades-old arrangement in which Flin Flon firefighters battled cottage blazes in the absence of any legal obligation to do so. Manitoba Conservation has confirmed it will respond to structural fires, wherever possible, though its workers and equipment are typically used for forest and wildland fires. In the event of a fire, cottagers may call Conservation's TIP line at 1-800-782-0076. Flin Flon firefighters will continue to respond as needed to vehicle accidents outside city limits, as those costs are reimbursed by MPI.
