Shocking the things you find by mistake ....

[RspctFrmCalgary]

I've finally found the time to look for the article on the news that came out last week about the BC Firefighters Cancer law being introduced and I saw "Geikie St." in one of the headlines on FirefightingNews.com and felt that "punch to the gut" feeling, as I know a lot of people that live on Geikie ST.

I know this house, partied there in my younger, wilder days It used to be (still is?) an ATHA-B staff house.

Here's the story from Jasper's local weekly newspaper:

Check out the bonehead move by a passing motorist

Blaze claims Geikie St. home


by Alisen Charlten
Wednesday November 02, 2005


A firefighter finishes cutting a hole in the roof of a burning house to release heat and smoke.

Alisen Charlten photo

Jasper Booster — The Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade responded to a fire call just after midnight on Oct. 29 after dispatch received a report of smoke billowing from a home behind the Athabasca Hotel.

When trucks arrived on the scene at 503 Geikie St., the back porch of the residence was engulfed in smoke and flames were visible.

Rob Labbe and Tim Howes, both residents of the home, arrived minutes before fire crews after a passersby notified a fellow employee at the Atha-B.
Howes was immediately concerned as his dog Wrex was home alone in the house. When the men tried to enter through the back door there was too much smoke for them to locate the dog.

Knowing Wrex was probably in his kennel the two men went around the side of the house and broke some of the back porch windows trying to reach him. Though he wasn’t moving when Howes first grabbed him, Wrex made it safely through the window unharmed.

“About a minute to a minute and a half after, the whole thing was engulfed in flames,” said Howes.

Unfortunately, a four-year-old boa constrictor, a baby bull snake, a scorpion and a tarantula belonging to downstairs tenant Isaac Upshall did not survive the blaze.

Only two main floor bedrooms on the west side of the home survived the flames though much of the contents were still smoke damaged.
Both Labbe and Howes praised firefighters for their efforts to retrieve a number of special personal items including a watch belonging to Howes’ father who recently passed away.

They also noted the great efforts made to save Upshall’s trapped pets.
“If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have anything left,” said Howes.
After conducting an investigation, the JVFB believe they have determined the cause of the fire. That information could not be released to the Booster before its deadline, pending a meeting with the insurance company that is involved. However, Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem did identify the ignition point.

“It definitely started in the basement,” he said.
Depute Fire Chief Ron Stanko said the fire was a great example of the importance of smoke detectors to alert people when an ignition first takes place.

“It was an unnoticed fire so it burned for a while.”

Van Tighem praised the crews for staying on top of such a difficult fire and for putting in a long night of work cleaning hoses and equipment after the call.
A motorist passing by the scene is being charged for breaking municipal fire bylaws by driving over the main supply line while crossing Elm Ave.

According to Van Tighem, if the line had ruptured it would have cut off the truck’s water supply not to mention damaging an expensive piece of equipment.