Martensville Fire Department (MFD) members extinguished a large fire at an auto salvage business on Highway 12 south of Martensville on Tuesday, January 9.
Martensville Deputy Fire Chief Dean Brooman said in an interview the afternoon of January 9 that firefighters were dispatched to the scene at about 5:45 a.m.. Ten firefighters with one tanker, one engine and one rescue truck arrived on scene to find a large pile of recycled material on fire.
This incident marked the second time in four days that MFD personnel were called to Affiliated Auto Wreckers. Firefighters had previously battled a similar blaze at the business on Saturday, January 6, according to Brooman.
“We were able to knock the flames down fairly quickly using a combination of water and foam,” said Brooman. “Affiliated Auto workers assisted us by using a big backhoe to pull apart the burning pile, and that allowed us to soak down the hot stuff and suppress the fire in manageable chunks.”
Brooman said firefighters went through about 6,000 gallons of water battling the blaze, which saw flames towering several meters high at the height of the fire.
Firefighters confined the fire to the pile of recycled material. No structures were damaged, and there were no injuries. MFD personnel were able to leave the scene by 8:30 a.m.
The cause of the fire was undetermined.
Brooman said the frigid temperatures created challenges.
“We always have to be mindful of the equipment and the safety of our members when temperatures get into the minus 20s and below,” said Brooman. “When it’s cold the equipment works harder and things tend to freeze up. There’s more wear and tear on the equipment. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any breakdowns, but things are more likely to happen when it’s cold like that.”
Brooman said firefighters also take additional precautions to prevent frostbite and hypothermia from exposure to the cold.
He said the first week of the new year has been a busy one for MFD firefighters.
“We’ve had 11 calls so far, as of January 9,” he said. “Two fires and several medical calls. It’s been steady, and I expect we’ll be busy for the rest of the winter.”