(Nipawin Fire/Facebook)

By Cam Lee

Frigid fire fight

Dedicated fire crews battle Nipawin blaze in extreme cold

Feb 14, 2025 | 10:30 AM

A stubborn house fire in Nipawin revealed the dedication of Nipawin Fire Department crews during the frigid conditions.

Just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday, crews were called to the fire on the 400 block of 6th Ave. W.

All the occupants and pets had made it out of the home just in time, as heavy smoke was coming from all three levels of the structure.

The fire department said they quickly put out the fire and thermal imaging showed the fire was extinguished.

But their social media post said, “older structures are much more robust and can conceal hidden pockets of smouldering materials.”

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A neighbour spotted an orange glow in the basement the following morning and crews returned to the scene.

This time the fire was much more intense, travelling up through the walls and extending to the rest of the house.

(Nipawin Fire/Facebook)

Crews returned in the afternoon to douse hot spots in floors, ceilings, and walls, and they eventually let the structure burn completely to let it burn itself out.

The fire was watched all night and hoses were left on to completely saturate the inside of the building.

(Nipawin Fire/Facebook)

The department said there was still some fire poking out of the ice after heavy machinery knocked down the stucco walls due to safety concerns.

The Nipawin Fire Department (NFD) thanked the Public Works Department for blocking off the streets to protect their hoses and their connections, for knocking down the structure with a backhoe and dumping snow on the debris.

They also thanked the residents in the area for their patience during those three days, saying that nobody complained about the inconvenience on 6th Ave. W.

Honeywood Vet and North East EMS were also thanked for helping to temporarily house and transport the dogs from the home.

“I cannot stress how incredibly resilient your volunteer firefighters are working in these extreme conditions,” said Fire Chief Paul Cockell. “Gloves get soaked then freeze to everything, turnout gear becomes frozen and heavy, SCBA masks fog up then freeze and members peer through whatever sight lines they can find, hoses freeze to the ground and have to be scooped up immediately when shut off before they become part of the street.”

He said crews jumped into the trucks to briefly warm up and then return to the scene, showing their commitment to helping those in need.

“When you see these bleary-eyed gents around town, please make sure to give them a pat on the back or thumbs up, they certainly earned it this week,” said Cockell.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com