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Crews with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services braved the coldest day of winter — so far — fighting at least four separate fires across the city on Friday.
Crews were called out around 2:45 a.m. to a fire that started on the second floor of a building on the corner of 95 Street and 113 Avenue in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood.
Overnight temperatures in Edmonton were in the low minus twenties and with the wind chill, felt cooler.
At those temperatures, water being used by crews to douse flames freezes quickly — coating buildings, roads and equipment in ice and complicating the fight.
“Our trucks are freezing up, we’re blowing lines, we have oil issue problems. They say it’s -31 with the wind chill,” said District fire chief Jamie Wilson.
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Wilson is reminding homeowners to be fire safe before leaving the house.
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“”I can’t say it loud or clear enough: let’s not leave baseboard heaters plugged in, let’s not have candles on, don’t have your curtains down near heating sources, make sure your fire places are closed or off, because it just adds that much more when we are in -30,” Wilson said.
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Edmonton firefighters battle blaze at home amid frigid temperatures
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Around 7:45 a.m., another fire was reported in a southeast industrial area near 49 Street and 72 Avenue.
Crews there found a garage – being used as a storage facility by an industrial business – engulfed in flames.
The acting district fire chief at that scene, Rodger Flemming, said crews were not only dealing with the fire, but also the risks that come with frigid temperatures.
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It’s not a new issue in a winter city, but a challenge all the same.
“It’s hazardous just because of the cold spraying water — we had firefighters just drenched and in ice. It’s challenging when the temperatures are so cold,” Flemming said.
No injuries were reported in any of the fires. Investigators are looking into the causes.
You can see what fire crews were dealing with in the video at the top of the post.
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