The Flin Flon Fire Department had one busy May - 10 separate calls led to what was described in the department's most recent report as a “particularly busy month.”
Fire personnel attended to an EMS assist at Rotary Court May 11 and a fire alarm at the Aspen Grove housing development May 12 before the first major call of the month, a structure fire at 60 Callinan Street May 16. Firefighters arrived on the scene around 7 p.m. and found flames inside and outside the building. After evacuating nearby homes, crews were able to both keep the fire within the building of origin and extinguish the fire. Later, an arrest was made in connection to the fire, which has been considered a suspected arson.
An EMS assist on May 19 and a false alarm fire call on the Cliff Lake Road a day later preceded the fire department’s most notable call of the year so far - a large fire burning at Timber Lane near the Co-op cardlock gas tanks May 22. Fire crews came to the scene shortly after noon and found a tanker truck on fire. After evacuating businesses within 1.5 kilometres of the area, firefighters knocked down the fire and kept the nearby gas tanks cool, with some assistance from the Hudbay fire department. One minor injury was reported in the fire, which sent plumes of black smoke hundreds of feet up into the air.. The fire was not considered suspicious in nature.
After a call for a suspected propane leak May 22 turned up nothing, another structure fire was reported May 27 on Third Avenue shortly after midnight. RCMP members had put out a small fire which was “purposely lit” inside an abandoned home.
A vehicle fire was reported May 30 near the Schist Lake road, which firefighters extinguished quickly. The final call of the month was a suspected hazmat situation at Stittco Energy May 31, where firefighters cooled off fuel tanks with water after it was suspected they were venting improperly.
The department estimates around $660,000 in total fire damage was caused in May.
