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.
Fires and other disasters devastated some $773,000 worth of property in 2004 during one of the busiest years ever for the Flin Flon Fire Dept. Fire Chief Jim Petrie's annual report outlines 94 incidents in Flin Flon and area, including house fires, highway collisions and vehicles maliciously set ablaze. The costliest of the incidents was a house fire on Queen St. last spring that resulted in an approximate dollar loss of $115,000. Also reaching the six-figure mark was a house fire on Adams St. last summer. Damages were estimated at $114,000. Causing some $70,000 in damages each were an apartment fire on Hapnot St. and an accident in which an ore truck plowed into the ditch along the Perimeter Highway after striking a car. Other pricey incidents included a house fire on Channing Dr. ($50,000), a case of arson involving a City of Flin Flon truck ($30,000) and malfunctions in two heaters at a local restaurant ($10,000). The number of false alarms was down for at least the fifth consecutive year, accounting for 23 per cent of all calls. In one incident, an intoxicated person reported a nonexistent fire on First Ave. In another case, a three-year-old boy purposelessly pulled a fire alarm at a retail business. Some other callers thought they smelled smoke or gases but investigations failed to show anything was wrong. The total estimated damages for 2004 represent a $124,000 increase over the previous year but were still well below the approximately $2.05 million reported in 2002, the year of the fire at the Hemlock Dr. seniors apartment complex. Here is a breakdown of the 94 calls that came in last year: 22 false alarms; 21 structural fires; 13 vehicle fires or extrications; 11 bush or grass fires; 10 other incidents or rescues; five landfill fires; four acts of public service; Êthree chimney fires; three incidents of vandalism; and two hazardous materials incidents.
