 | ||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Photos by Joan Eyolfson Cadham Barely a month after fire destroyed several buildings in the town centre fire took hold in the wooden grain elevator in Foam Lake, SK. The fire started about 2:40 PM and was declared under control by 4 AM with crews still extinguishing hot spots at noon on August 1. in all six fire departments were called to the scene including the City of Yorkton as well as two helicopter water bombers. Heat was a concern for surrounding structures. At one point during the fire 65 km winds were a serious problem as embers and debris was carried for several blocks and volunteers patrolled to ensure any new fires were quickly extinguished. Debris from the burning Wheat Pool elevator ignighted the annex to the concrete (Pioneer) grain elevator. The co-op hardware store and lumber yard were at risk from the two fires. Volunteers helped move inflammable goods out of harm's way while crews watered down the exposure buildings. While the loss of the elevator will be a blow the town will, no doubt, shoulder this burden as they have others and, simply, carry on. It is to the credit of the hard working volunteers, both firefighters and citizens of Foam Lake that the fire was contained as it was thus preventing a more devastating outcome.
The photo below was taken on July 27 and shows the two elevators which were involved. The pool elevator on the left was where the fire originally started. This building was completely destroyed. Burning debris from the Pool elevator ignited the roof of the Pioneer elevator's annex (the orange/red building). The annex was destroyed and the concrete elevator will be inspected for soundness. This is the second fire at the Pioneer elevator, the first being in the early 1980s.
|
|||||||||||||||||||
