Passing trucker calls Fire Department

The Killam Fire Department was called out to the scene of a tree fire on Thursday, Oct. 4, but cold weather kept the fire from spreading from the time it was called in by a passing trucker, and the time they arrived.

It appeared that strong winds may have pushed a tree against a power line, starting the blaze.

Regional Fire Chief Kim Cannady says, “We have been very fortunate this fall, despite the dry conditions we only had eight stubble or grass fires, and these were all small fires.

“We also had a few combine fires.”

Cannady says that now that the weather has cooled off, conditions are in our favour, because the humidity level goes up, slowing fire growth, and allowing time to get to fires in time to control them.

He says the most hazardous time is early fall when crops are dry and still standing; the fuel load is huge, and these fires can consume a whole field in short order.

Cannady says he keeps his eyes on the Relative Humidity level, wind, and forecast quite a bit to determine the potential fire hazard.

“Lots of times this determines whether I go to a show with the family on a fall evening,” he says.

“This fall was very dry, considering the potential for fire we have definitely been lucky to some degree.

“Luck only goes so far, so I also have to give credit to those people who are very conscious of the fire hazard and take precautions to prevent fire on their property.”