A colossal blaze that broke out last week just outside of Broderick is highlighting the dangerous fact that wind and fire just don’t mix.
On Friday, May 12 at approximately 4:40 pm, the Outlook Fire Department responded to a call that sent them to the Elcan Forage-Ontario Dehy processing plant east of town, where a bale fire had broken out on the eastern side of the property.
The cause was a natural occurrence that every firefighter and property owner hates to see happen, as the fire started from an overheated bale that had combusted due to the heat of the day. Adding to the situation was the high winds, which spread the flames and ended up engulfing hundreds of bales, as well as some on-site equipment and sheds.
With the size of the blaze, the Conquest and Macrorie fire departments were also on the scene helping to combat the flames with pumper trucks and a brush fire apparatus.
Crews and helpful volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the night as the RCMP controlled traffic along Highway 15, and by approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, the fire was considered under control.
The exact number of bales lost in the fire is unknown, but it’s anywhere from 1000-1500. The dollar amount on damages is estimated to be around $100,000.
At the time of this issue, the Outlook Fire Department had published a memo on their social media sites explaining the situation as of now.
“The fine product waste piles on the east side of the Elcan site will continue to smoulder for the next few days. Employees of the site are going to be working in the specific area moving and spreading the smouldering material. At this time there will be smoke in the area.”
The public is also being asked to refrain from stopping along the highway and taking photos, as it presents a danger to themselves and to others, and obstructing traffic is a ticket-able offence.
