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Neepawa Fire Department monthly report: March

Submitted Article

The Neepawa Press

The Neepawa Fire Department presented its monthly report to Town Council on Tuesday, Apr. 5. 

Controlled burns will be conducted in April and May. In his monthly written update to town council, Fire Chief Scott Gibson noted that the burns will happen on Monday and Thursday evenings, weather permitting, as a way to help prevent uncontrolled fires, which can damage homes and businesses. 

The Fire Department conducts these burns each spring, after the snow melts, but before the grass is green. A controlled burn is an intentionally lit, low intensity fire used to replicate natural fires. Controlled burns benefit communities by removing dead grasses and under growth, reducing the fuel load of a possible fire. Anyone who would like to request a controlled burn should contact the Town Office.

This year to date, the fire department has responded to 13 calls, with eight of those occurring in March.  On Mar. 2, they were paged out to a possible fire at Twilight Colony. Upon arrival, it was discovered that a controlled burn was underway and someone called it in via cell phone.

On Mar. 6, firefighters were called to alarms sounding at This N’ That Manufacturing in Neepawa. That call turned out to be a false alarm. 

On Mar. 9, the Fire Department was called to assist EMS with a hazmat situation because of carbon monoxide leak at a Neepawa residence. On Mar. 10, they responded to a two vehicle collision in the R.M. of Rosedale. 

Mar. 11, alarms sounded at the vet clinic in Neepawa, which turned out to be a false alarm. On Mar. 22 the fire department responded to its first grass fire of the year near the Neepawa Health Centre. 

On Mar. 28, the fire department responded to a grass fire on Highway 5 at the railway tracks. The following day, fire fighters attended a grass fire at 510 Main Street in Neepawa.

During the recent missing child case near Austin, the Neepawa fire department provided searchers every day of the search efforts for various times, there were a large number of area residents who took time out to help search for the missing boy. Everyone from the community who volunteered their time deserves a huge thank you.

During March, truck number five had to have its clutch repaired. Truck one had some smaller repairs completed resulting from the transfer case and pumper repairs earlier this year. Also, truck three has had its breaks repaired.