By TERRY PUGH
A quick response by the Martensville Fire Department (MFD) to a vehicle fire in a residential neighbourhood prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby homes.
A fire apparently ignited spontaneously in the engine compartment of a black Jeep SUV that was parked in the driveway of a residence on Kinsmen Crescent in Martensville shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 13.
The homeowner called the fire department, while a neighbour who also witnessed the incident called 911. Martensville firefighters were immediately dispatched.
By the time they arrived on scene a few minutes later, billows of black and grey smoke were already pouring out from under the hood, and flames were shooting from the engine compartment. Pieces of burning plastic could be seen smouldering on the driveway next to the vehicle.
“We took a call from the homeowner who noticed his vehicle was smoking,” said Martensville Deputy Fire Chief James Taylor. “So we toned it out on our page channel and assembled the crew on duty.
Martensville firefighter Rob Riviere smothers a vehicle fire with a combination of foam and water August 13 (Gazette photo by Terry Pugh)
“When we turned the corner the flames were starting to be visible underneath the hood and on the ground. As you can see, the vehicle is right near the home. That was our major concern right on our arrival.
“While the guys were setting up, I quickly applied a fire extinguisher to it just so it didn’t spread to the home. I wanted to knock it down so it didn’t get too big before we could get our regular lines on it.”
Firefighters applied a foam-water mixture and had the fire extinguished quickly. There was no damage to the home and no one was injured.
Taylor credited the quick thinking by the homeowner to make the emergency call as a critical factor in stopping the blaze before it mushroomed into something bigger.
“It could have been much worse,” said Taylor. “Thankfully, the house didn’t catch fire.”
Taylor added, however, that residents should always call 911, rather than phone the fire hall directly.
“There’s not always someone at the desk at the fire hall to answer the phone,” said Taylor. “In this case, I happened to be there, so that was lucky. The biggest message I want to get out to people is make sure you phone 911 in an emergency situation.”
The homeowner said he is thankful for the quick action by firefighters.
“They got here just in the nick of time,” said the homeowner. “There were flames visible and they were getting bigger by the second.”
The cause of the fire is undetermined, according to Taylor. “It’s really hard to say at this point what caused it,” he said.
Martensville Fire Chief James Taylor and firefighters Michael Gawletz, Rob Riviere and Russell Gerwing extinguish a vehicle fire August 13 (Gazette photo by Terry Pugh)
The homeowner was also unsure what may have sparked the fire.
“We had hit a deer with this vehicle a while ago,” he explained. “And we had it repaired at an SGI-accredited shop in Kindersley. They repaired it and delivered it. They said it was repaired except for the main computer, which they said had to be set by the dealership.
“We hadn’t been able to get it to the dealership to be set, and we had left it parked in our driveway over the weekend.
“I just happened to come out of the house this morning and noticed some smoke coming from under the hood, so I called the fire department. They were able to put it out right away, and I’m so glad they arrived when they did because it would have spread to the house.
“I’m a little upset with the repair shop because I don’t think they shouldn’t have delivered it in that condition.”