ROCKY VIEW COUNTY— A car fire Friday (May 29) serves as a reminder of the importance of vehicle maintenance.
On Friday afternoon fire services from Springbank, Cochrane and Bearspaw responded to a vehicle fire on Towers Trail, said Rocky View County Fire Chief Randy Smith.
The driver reported driving south down the road and pulled over because she smelled smoke. The vehicle was soon engulfed in flames, but fire service members were able to contain the blaze.
Smith said the fire was likely a mechanical issue because the blaze occurred while the car was driving.
“They’re mechanical devices and it depends on how well they’re maintained and sometimes mechanical devices fail,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of reasons for vehicle fires, but nine times out of ten it's mechanical.”
He added in some cases a blaze can be people trying to criminally dispose of a vehicle and set it on fire.
Sometimes a vehicle fire can occur unexpectedly with no warning, he said, explaining that the best proactive step to stay safe is maintaining the car.
Practising and maintaining general maintenance of a vehicle can ensure that when a problem is spotted it is attended to and fixed. Smith said this is an important task for drivers because it can help ensure the safety of oneself and others.
“These devices you’re hurdling down the highway at fairly high speeds so you want to make sure your vehicle is in fairly good shape,” Smith said. “If it's leaking oil or leaking fuel you at risk of having a fire.”
Smith added that the community fire departments work well together, explaining that the County works with Cochrane and respond to calls based on who can arrive on the scene the fastest.
The blaze serves as a great example of teamwork between the different stations— The call lasted from about 1:30 p.m. and everyone was back by about 2:30.
He said the goal is to help ensure fire services can get back into their communities as soon as possible so they can respond to other calls.
There is a tiered response when responding to calls, Smith said, providing resources for those times when crews arrive on the scene and a blaze is bigger than anticipated.
“You never know the real fact until you get there," he said.
Smith praised the tiered response because it allows fire services in Rocky View County and Cochrane to free up personal when needed so they can receive multiple calls at once.
“It works really well,” Smith said, adding that the agreement helps him and Cochrane Fire Chief Dave Humphrey be as efficient as possible with personal and keeping the community safe.
