City fire crews respond to a minor garage fire on the 100 Block of Seventh Street on the Southeast Hill on Tuesday afternoon, hours after they were called to an overnight house fire one block north on the 100 block of Eighth Street.--News Photo Collin Gallant
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In a 12-hour period Tuesday, Medicine Hat firefighters responded to three separate fires in the city, all of which are now under investigation.
Crews responded to a house fire call shortly after 4 a.m. on the 100 block of Eighth Street SW. At noon, crews were back in the same area after getting a second call of a house fire in the 100 block of Seventh Street SW.
Both fires are under investigation and there are no reports of injuries.
After 3 p.m. fire crews responded to a fire in the light industrial area along 23rd Street. No injuries were reported in this fire and it remains under investigation as well.
“I would certainly encourage everyone – with the hot temperatures that we are going to have over the next few days and significantly lower relative humidities – that they are discarding their cigarette material in a proper manner, whether that’s from a vehicle or at their own homes,” said deputy chief Douglas Gill.
Gill explains cigarettes have not been linked to Tuesday’s house fires as they are still under investigation, however due to early season rainfalls and now a regional heatwave, large grassy areas around the coulee hills that don’t receive as much irrigation are at a heightened risk for fires.
“So now we’ve got lots of vegetation, so lots of fuel loads that’s going to dry here very shortly,” explains Gill. “That with hot, windy conditions could potentially be an issue for us going through the rest of the summer. So we strongly encourage everyone to watch how they are starting their smoking materials.”
Firefighters have also been working on a rotating schedule to allow for breaks during the intense heat.
“With this heat it has been extremely challenging for the fire department, we have been cycling crews in and out to try and make sure everybody stays healthy,” says Gill.
