{"id":14956,"date":"2025-01-31T01:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T01:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/31\/water-access-concerns-in-foothills-county-after-home-destroyed-by-fire\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T01:41:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T01:41:16","slug":"water-access-concerns-in-foothills-county-after-home-destroyed-by-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/01\/31\/water-access-concerns-in-foothills-county-after-home-destroyed-by-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Water access concerns in Foothills County after home destroyed by fire"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Residents in Foothills County<\/a> are expressing concerns over water access in their community southwest of Calgary after a home was engulfed in flames Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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Crews were called to the home off Highway 762 near 242 Ave W in Foothills County shortly after four o\u2019clock; no injuries were reported but the home is a complete loss.<\/p>\n

However, nearby residents are convinced fire crews encountered issues when four engines travelled to a nearby bulk fill station to replenish their water tanks with a high velocity pump.<\/p>\n

That pump sits behind a fence installed last year, according to Mary Anne Desmeules, who lives nearby.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the firemen knew how to get through the gate, they didn\u2019t have a key, they didn\u2019t know how to access the standpipe because the fence is in the way,\u201d she told Global News.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey had to use the typical bulk fill that residents use for their own water.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Desmeules said it should only take up to five minutes to fill a truck with the high velocity pump, but she said it was taking \u201c20 minutes each\u201d to refill with the bulk fill pump.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was super sad and frustrating, I felt so sorry for the firemen because they were all great guys here that were trying their best.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tNearby residents in Foothills County are convinced fire crews encountered issues during their response related to water access issues in the area.\t\t\t\t<\/span>
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Desmeules showed Global News a September email from Foothills County chief administrative officer Ryan Payne that stated the fence \u201cdoes not cause a problem for emergency services access to the water source in the event of a fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In a statement, Foothills County fire chief Russ Friesen said an adequate and consistent water supply was available to fire crews as they worked to contain this fire and protect surrounding properties.<\/p>\n

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But residents feel Wednesday\u2019s fire is another example of the growing concerns around water access in the community, south of Bragg Creek.<\/p>\n