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A fire truck rolled over on Range Road 133 near Highway 599 east of Castor on Friday evening, according to RCMP. (Google Maps)
gofundme set up following tragedy

Firefighter passes away in rollover near Castor

Feb 8, 2022 | 9:55 AM

A firefighter in central Alberta has died following a tragic accident Friday night.

The death occurred near Castor, about 90 minutes east of Red Deer, and 40 minutes east of Stettler, within the County of Paintearth. RCMP say the precise location was on Range Road 133 near Highway 599.

According to police, while en route to the location of an MVC, a fire truck lost control and rolled at about 8 p.m. Preliminary investigation has determined that road conditions may have been a factor.

“[This] is a reminder to all first responders how dangerous our jobs are,” says Sgt. John Pike, Coronation RCMP. “Our hearts go out to their families and our partners in Castor fire department.”

RCMP say they aren’t releasing the name of the deceased, however, the Town of Castor has identified the firefighter as Stephen Rayfield. A GoFundMe has been set up to help Rayfield’s family.

Fire Chief Patrick Kelly also sustained injuries in the crash, with RCMP saying his were non-life-threatening.

“This has been a traumatic event for all our firefighters and their families. So please support them in any ways you can in the coming days,” the Town says in its post, which is signed by Mayor Richard Elhard and the rest of town council.

The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) also issued a brief statement over the weekend, in the form of this Facebook post:

A number of others also shared their condolences, including in the comments on this post by the Castor Fire Department on Facebook

Coronation RCMP, RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstruction and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety continue to investigate the collision. The Edmonton office of the Chief Medical Examiner will be conducting an autopsy at a later date.