The third quarter report for the Cranbrook Fire Department shows 575 calls for service from July-September, a 36 per cent increase compared to the year before.
Thirty-six per cent of calls were for fire-related incidents while 64 per cent were for prehospital care.
Higher call volumes were observed around the downtown core and near Ridgeview Road.
“Unfortunately, the number of calls this quarter fails to relay the severity of the wildfire season that we all just experienced. Our friends and partners in the ?aq’am community experienced a loss on July 17 that is unimaginable for many of us. 10% of the community’s homes were lost in one afternoon, to a fire that forced almost the entire community out of their homes for just over three weeks,” relays Scott Driver, Director of Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services.
“Our members worked tirelessly, around the clock for days to reduce the loss to the community, pushing the limits of our capacity. This single, yet extraordinarily impactful incident was followed by what continued to be a steady increase in our ‘regular’ call volume. I must express my condolences to the ?aq’am community, and my thanks to the many individuals on my team that worked tirelessly over this past summer to get us through very challenging times.”
Driver said they responded to six structure fires, 73 outdoor fires, 52 rescue services incidents and 75 fire alarm activations.
Overdose-related emergencies were their number one pre-hospital care call with 66 in total.