City of Red Deer assessing area along Riverview Avenue after fire was set

Singer raised concerns to the police about someone allegedly starting the cardboard on fire. Police responded to the area after Singer left for work. In a statement from the RCMP, the investigator attended because of it’s suspicious nature but did not find anything suspicious and departed.

Singer also made it known to the city there’s plenty of deadfall, brush, and trees along the hill that if the blaze would spread to that area, it could have gotten out of hand quickly.

“The city needs to do something about it,” Singer said. “If the wind had taken it, it could have been a big wildfire. There’s houses at the top of the hill.”

In a statement from the City of Red Deer, they said its Urban Encampment and Biohazard Control team will be attending the area to evaluate any safety related concerns. Additionally, their Urban Forestry team will walk the site to assess the condition of vegetation and any potential risks posed by deadfall or compromised trees.

“We value the community’s involvement in keeping our green spaces safe and will follow up with any action items identified through our assessments,” they added.

City of Red Deer Emergency Services Deputy Chief Curtis Schaefer said the fire department was not requested to attend the call.

They were, however, very busy that day attending multiple grass fires including a large blaze north of Highway 11a at approximately 6 p.m. They were on scene for an hour and a half before it was completely out.

They also were called to a pair of smaller grass fires earlier in the day.

by Ian Gustafson

City of Red Deer assessing area along Riverview Avenue after fire was set

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