ESTEVAN — A structure fire on a second-story balcony in the northeast area of Estevan was quickly extinguished in the early hours of May 10, according to Fire Chief Rick Davies.
The Estevan Fire Rescue team (EFR) was dispatched at 3:05 a.m. to the blaze, which was confirmed upon arrival.
“Crews quickly extinguished the fire and contained damage to the area,” Davies said in an interview.
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
That incident was one of several calls for service handled by EFR between May 5 and 11. The busy week began on May 5 at 12:30 p.m. when crews responded to a commercial fire alarm in the northeast area of the city. The alarm was triggered by cooking activity and no assistance was needed.
On May 6 at 2:50 p.m., firefighters were called to a two-vehicle collision north of Estevan. Davies confirmed there were “no entrapments and minor injuries reported.” EMS, RCMP, and Estevan Police Service traffic units also attended.
Another false alarm was reported on May 7 at 4:15 p.m. in the northwest area of the city.
“We determined that the alarm was due to a pull station activation, which was deemed accidental,” said Davies.
EFR responded to a grass fire south of the city on May 8 shortly after 12 p.m. The fire was brought under control quickly with no damage reported.
Later on May 10 at 9:15 p.m., crews were dispatched to a second grass fire, this time north of Estevan. The fire turned out to be a controlled burn conducted by a landowner.
“Crews stood down their response and returned to station,” Davies said.
Davies took the opportunity to remind landowners conducting controlled burns to call the provincial controlled burn line at 1-866-404-4911.
“If the fire department is called out to a controlled burn that has not been reported, response fees will be applied,” he said.
He also warned that conditions in the southeast are extremely dry and being monitored. While no fire bans are currently in place, residents are encouraged to use caution and call the fire department immediately if a controlled burn gets out of control.
