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UPDATED: Red Deer Emergency Services responds to fire in Rotary Park area

A Red Deer man captured photos of a large fire in a wooded area near Rotary Park on Friday morning.
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A Red Deer man captured photos of a large fire in the Rotary Park area between 6:30 and 7 a.m. on Friday morning. Red Deer Emergency Services was not immediately available for comment. (Photo contributed by Steven Fleischer)

A Red Deer man captured photos of a large fire in a wooded area near Rotary Park on Friday morning.

Steven Fleischer tells The Advocate he heard a “loud bang” around 6:30 a.m. from an apartment building that overlooks the park.

Curtis Schaefer, Red Deer Emergency Services assistant deputy chief, said fire crews were called out around the same time Fleischer heard that loud noise.

“When (a fire crew) arrived on scene they saw a small plume of smoke coming from the Rotary Park, Kin Kanyon area,” Schaefer said Saturday.

“Once the crew made access through a thicker forested area, they found a pile of deadfall beside a shelter made in the trees. It got about the size of 50 feet by 50 feet, but was quickly controlled by the crew on scene.”

There were no injuries or damaged structures at the scene. Firefighters spent some time “doing overhaul” to ensure the fire was completely out, Schaefer noted.

“Approximately eight staff were on scene, along with an engine, a brush truck and a water tanker truck,” he said.

Schaefer said it’s assumed the fire was started by an individual.

“It wouldn’t be investigated on our side because it’s a wild land fire,” Schaefer explained.

Fires like this are concerning for Red Deer Emergency Services, Schaefer added.

“Obviously they can spread very quickly if they’re not noticed,” he said.

“If people spot smoke in wooded areas, we can go and check them out to make sure there’s no fire in there. We do have some wooded areas close to residential areas in the City of Red Deer so we want to make sure any fire is taken care of quickly so there’s no chance of it spreading.”



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