Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Volunteer fire crews tackle Austin blaze

By: Melissa Martin

9/02/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Handout Firefighters battle a blaze in Austin Sunday that destroyed a hair salon and storage space.

VOLUNTEER firefighters from three towns and a Hutterite colony pitched in Sunday to battle a blaze threatening Austin's downtown.

Firefighters in Austin got a call at 11:01 a.m. Sunday about the fire, which broke out at a hair salon on 2nd Avenue, the town's prime business street. Austin is 110 km west of Winnipeg.

With a punishing 50-kilometre wind and the Austin Bake Shop and Phil's Corner Store only feet away from the burning building, firefighters were faced with a daunting task.

"Everything is all connected together and in proximity," said Austin volunteer fire department chief Gerry Currie, hours after staying awake until 4:30 a.m. stamping out flare-ups in the rubble. "That's where the challenge is."

Volunteers from the nearby towns of Gladstone and MacGregor joined the local team, for a total of 29 firefighters on the scene. Members of two Hutterite colonies and tankers from Carberry and MacGregor helped shuttle water.

It took more than six hours and 57,000 gallons of water to quench the flames, which claimed Kathy's Hair Salon and a storage space called Ernie's Warehouse.

No one was injured. Damage is estimated at several hundred thousand dollars. An investigation into the fire is underway, but Portage la Prairie RCMP said it is not considered suspicious.

-- Melissa Martin

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 9, 2010 B2

Rate this
This article has not yet been rated.

We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.