COCHRANE— A large blaze with smoke that could be seen across town was quickly contained by Cochrane firefighters Thursday (Oct. 8) morning.
Deputy fire chief Shawn Polley said Cochrane Fire Services received a dispatch regarding the structure fire in the River Heights area at about 10:20 a.m.
“As soon as the crews left the station, you could see black smoke coming up just south of us,” Polley said. “The smoke column was very, very apparent.”
When firefighters arrived on the scene they found an abandoned home fully engulfed in flames.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire through a defensive approach with help from mutual aid partner Rocky View County Fire Services.
Using a defensive mode of action, firefighters battled the blaze from the outside using different tactics, including larger supply lines, to contain the fire to its place of origin.
“We want to keep the fire within its four walls and keep it from extending out into the forest,” Polley said.
He added the quick response from members allowed Cochrane Fire Services to keep the event localized and prevent it from spreading to nearby trees.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, Polley said, and Cochrane Fire Services' fire investigator will now look at the origin and cause of the event after the building is deemed safe.
“He’ll get right into digging through the rubble, what’s leftover, to see if he can determine what a cause is,” Polley said.
He noted if a member of the public sees suspicious activity around an abandoned structure they can notify the RCMP as a safety precaution.
