Members of the Elko Fire Department responded to their first fire call over the weekend.

“We had a small grass fire in the Burton Lake Estates area,” reported Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire Service Chief Dave Boreen. “This was a good reminder about the dry conditions already this spring. Thanks to the swift action of the crew, they were able to extinguish the fire very quickly and prevent the situation from becoming more serious.”

It is a big week for the Elko department.

Aside from responding to its first fire call, eight of the department’s firefighters will be taking part in formal firefighter evaluations with written evaluations on Thursday and practical evaluations on Saturday. Upon successful completion of both components, firefighters will receive a certificate from the College of the Rockies and be very close to being certified to the exterior firefighter level.

“These firefighters have been working really hard every step of the way and this will be an exciting next step for them,” Boreen said.

The Regional District of East Kootenay’s newest fire department began operating at the beginning of February. The department’s first official call was February 22 when a father / daughter team responded to provide traffic control following a two vehicle motor vehicle incident.

The department is still welcoming new recruits. Anyone interested in learning more about Elko Fire can contact Chief Boreen at the Jaffray Fire Hall.

RDEK

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