Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter as I am still under the impression, after attending a couple of meetings with cottagers, that there are misconceptions over what the Flin Flon Fire Department can do to fight a fire outside Flin Flon if an agreement is reached between the City of Flin Flon and North of 54 Cottage Owners Association.
I therefore met again with Fire Chief Jim Petrie along with Cyndy Woods and Mark Watling of the Big Island/Schist Lake Cottage Association and my assistant, Colleen Ford, on Sept. 5.
One misconception is that a road has to be ploughed down in front of the cottage that is on fire. Petrie says this is not true.
Firefighters have water pumps that can be carried by two trained firefighters to the water. A hole in the ice is then drilled and the hoses attached, which is about a five minute hook-up.
In the meantime the fire department is knocking down the fire with a water foam system that is located on the fire truck. In the summer the pumps are floater pumps and are placed in the water.
The pumps can pump water 1,000 feet and can pump forcefully to an elevation of 30 feet with no problem.
If your cottage is elevated higher than 30 feet and/or further than 1,000 feet from the water, the fire department would at first knock down your fire with the water foam system that is located on the fire truck and at the same time would be setting up a relay system to fight your fire.
The relay system consists of the two fire trucks, the water pumps and the hose that can fight a fire that is half a mile from the lake.
Some say the fire department would not send out both fire trucks. Petrie said that if an agreement was reached between the city and the cottage association, and both trucks had to be deployed and the mayor agrees in the written agreement, the fire chief would send both trucks out and call on HudBay’s fire department to be on standby if something occurs in Flin Flon.
Petrie said the fire department would be able to fight most fires in the outlying area of cottage country.
Would he be able to get out and save the initial cottage that is on fire? No.
Petrie explained that it takes two to three minutes for his men to get to the fire hall and for the first truck to get on the road.
However, it depends on where the fire is that they are going to as to how long it would take to get there. Big Island, Schist Lake, Bakers Narrows, Sourdough Bay (yes, Petrie said he would fight a fire at Sourdough Bay) – 15, 20, 30 minutes or maybe a little longer.
Petrie would not be able to get there to save the initial cottage, but he could save the neighbours’ place (that neighbour could be you).
Petrie also said if an agreement with the city and the cottage association was met, he would attend the different areas to assess the situation to determine
how and if he would be able to attend and fight the fire.
As I have stated before, I strongly believe an agreement between the city and the cottage association can and should be made, and it should be revisited.
