Local work crew prevents potential forest fire

As work crews were headed north to their jobs in the oil patch last Thursday, they spotted a vehicle fire burning just off the Alaska highway, danger close to the forest.

Individual approaches the blaze with a fire extinguisher to help contain the flames from spreading - photo by Patrick Saunders

Upon discovering the burning vehicle along the side of the Alaska Highway on Thursday, July 11, a few workers sprang into action utilizing the fire extinguishers provided on their trucks, working together to contain the flames.

An Industrial Scaffold Services L.P. (ISSL) crew truck was one of the first trucks to stop, with its crew quickly jumping into action to prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby forest.

“We stopped the fire from spreading to the tree line, which was only about 20 feet away,” said Patrick Saunders, scaffolder for ISS. “Big thanks to the water truck that stopped and helped extinguish the fire at the end, that was a huge help. I’d say we used around 12-15 fire extinguishers in total fighting the fire.”

While individuals were fighting the fire, numerous work trucks stopped to donate their fire extinguishers for the fight, and to lend a hand if needed.

The individuals who responded were unsure of how the fire started, but say they seen a suspicious looking individual walking away from the scene while they approached the fire.