A pair of fires had crews in the South Country and Columbia Valley active Wednesday evening.
Regional District of East Kootenay officials said six firefighters and two pieces of apparatus responded to a bin fire at the Columbia Valley Landfill.
“We were dispatched at approximately 9:30pm and found the fire to be confined to one of the 50-yard garbage collection bins on site,” said Columbia Valley Rural Fire & Rescue Service Chief Drew Sinclair.
“This is a good reminder for residents about the importance of ensuring everything they are throwing away is safe and fully cooled prior to disposal.”
RDEK officials said staff attended the site on Thursday to investigate the potential cause.
Meanwhile, Elko and Baynes Lake Fire Department members were called into action on Wednesday evening to deal with an equipment fire at the Canfor mill yard in Elko.
“When we arrived, we found a loader engulfed in flames. We were able to quickly isolate the fire to prevent it from spreading into nearby fuels in the yard,” said Elk Valley & South Country Fire & Rescue Service Chief Michael Hockley.
“Once the flames were knocked back, our priority was ensuring the fire was fully extinguished and there were no hot spots remaining.”
RDEK officials said nine firefighters responded with three pieces of apparatus.
“The equipment operator and other staff did a great job of following safety protocols and calling for assistance quickly,” said Hockley.
“Their actions, combined with the quick response from our team, meant a big difference in the magnitude and potential of this call.”
No injuries were reported from this incident.
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