Being in close proximity to a grass fire in downtown Trail on Friday had regional first responders containing the flames to a small area.
The call of a wildfire came into Station 374 Trail, located in the regional district building in the Gulch, minutes after 3:30 p.m., Friday (Sept. 9).
Firefighters were at the Victoria Street locale within three minutes.
“Crews arrived on scene to a wildfire which was spreading quickly up the bank behind the McDonald’s,” reported Acting Captain Clay Alderson. “Crews quickly contained the fire to prevent further expansion, mop up completed.”
The fire department is investigating the cause, which is considered to be suspicious in nature.
Earlier in the afternoon, the team responded to the report of a structure fire in East Trail, which serves a good reminder for all homeowners and tenants to check their smoke detectors.
Early detection from a working smoke alarm alerted a neighbour and the incident was contained to an unattended pot on the stove, Kootenay Boundary Fire Chief Dan Derby advised via social media. “DYK (do you know) that unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires?” he notes. “Use pot lids or a cookie sheet to smother a fire on your stove, never use water on a grease fire.”
With the time change coming up about six weeks, this fire-averted outcome is a timely heads-up for homeowners and tenants to check their smoke alarm batteries.
Daylight saving time ends when clocks “fall back” one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. An ongoing rule of thumb is to consider smoke alarms to be the most important clocks that need to be checked and changed in living spaces during twice yearly time shifts.
newsroom@trailtimes.ca
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