Rocky Mountain House and area firefighters have been run ragged after responding to two fires on Tuesday and Wednesday, one of which is reported as suspicious.
Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services deputy fire chief Paul Prevost said they were called about the house fire near the Rocky Mountain House Airport, northeast of the town, at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Upon arrival it was well-involved and all the people were out,” Prevost said.
The house was rented to two individuals.
“We tried in vain to salvage it but the structure was too damaged to safely extinguish completely so we unfortunately had to demolish it to get the fire all out,” Prevost said.
“So they lost everything, which is tragic.”
On Wednesday, the Canadian Red Cross responded to the needs of the two individuals who lost their belongings.
Members of the Red Deer Personal Disaster Assistance Team provided accommodation, blankets, food and hygiene kits.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but fire investigators have deemed it as not suspicious.
More than 25 firefighters from the Rocky Mountain House station, Leslieville station and Condor station responded to the fire.
One firefighter from the Rocky station had to be transported to hospital due to heat exhaustion, Prevost said. The individual was treated and later released.
A day later, on Wednesday, firefighters were again put to task just after 6 a.m.
The Rocky Junior Forest Wardens’ clubhouse on River Road, west of the town, was intentionally lit on fire.
“It is totally destroyed because by the time someone saw it and called us it was well involved,” Prevost said.
No one was in the clubhouse at the time of the fire.
The area around River Road has been hit by vandalism in the past, admitted Prevost, but the clubhouse, which burned to the ground, was well-secured.
In 2007, vandals targeted the Junior Forest Wardens’ clubhouse four times.
Junior Forest Wardens is an outdoor-oriented program providing leadership skills for youth ages six to 18.
jjones@www.reddeeradvocate.com