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Vol. 20, No. 19, Wednesday, February 12, 2025 www.LamontLeader.com
Greek Orthodox hall burns to the ground BY JANA SEMENIUK Flames lit up the sky on range road 200 on Feb. 6 as the Holy Ascension Russo-Greek Orthodox Church Hall was on fire. This hall, which was made up of an Atco trailer, was located just north of Skaro National Hall which was recently featured in the Jan. 29 edition of the Lamont Leader (“Group aims to revitalize 95-year-old Skaro Hall”). The Holy Ascension Russo-Greek Orthodox Church nearby was not damaged by the fire. Lamont County Communications Director Jay Zaal said crews from Bruderheim, Lamont, Chipman and Mundare (water support) responded just after 5 p.m. “LCES (Lamont County Emergency
The remains of the Holy Ascension Russo-Greek Orthodox Hall that was destroyed by fire on Feb. 6. The charred rubble is shown here after re-igniting the next morning, Feb 7, when the roof collapsed. Services) was assisted by Medavie EMS, RCMP, Lamco Gas, and Fortis Power,” said Zaal by email. “Upon
arrival they found a tin structure showing fire from one corner and full of smoke. Crews attempted entry but due
to fire conditions and an unsafe floor, were unable to proceed. Crews began a defensive attack applying water from the outside.” Zaal said crews from Andrew were brought in to do fire watch overnight. However, at approximately 8:30 a.m. the interior ceiling collapsed and the fire lit up again. “The fire began to free burn with a complete structural collapse shortly after,” he said. “Heavy equipment was brought in to lift the tin roof and walls off of the pile so crews could extinguish the remaining fire spots.” Zaal said there were no injuries or damage to the surrounding trees or outbuildings. Zaal said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fire danger complaints investigated six weeks before Mundare campground fire
Moore updates Bruderheim on year-end fire stats
would be receiving a bill for the Jan. 19 fire, as per a previous regional agreement. Tarnawsky said it is normally the landowner who will receive a fire bill, but billing the Town of Mundare was difficult due to an unsigned fire services bylaw. “The Town of Mundare passed a fire services bylaw on (Jan. 28) that mirrors ours. If that fire happened today, the Town of Mundare would receive a bill,” he said. “They did not have their bylaw passed (at the time of the fire) therefore it’s challenging for us to bill the Town of Mundare. “They didn’t pass the bylaw until (Jan. 28) therefore we don’t have legal remedy to pursue it from (the Town) but we may pursue it on a moral basis. It’s the landowner who gets the bill.”
BY JOHN MATHER Lamont Regional Fire Chief Bo Moore appeared before Bruderheim Council Feb. 5 to update the Town on its annual fire stats. “It’s a very short report,” he said. “In 2024 across the County, crews were called for service 323 times, a 23 per cent increase over the previous year. “That puts us at an average of more than one call a day which is very busy for our on-call staff.” He said the number of callouts had been steadily increasing since 2021 at a rate of about 10 to 15 per cent per year. “He gave a brief overview of the most recent capital budget. Mayor Karl Hauch asked if the new equipment purchases would be housed in Lamont or if any would be stationed in Bruderheim. Moore replied there would be some decisions made and “juggling of apparatus” when the equipment arrives. He added one truck wasn’t scheduled for delivery for 22 months. He said during the year the department had funded a pump operators course and a life fire instructor’s course. Continued on Page 19
BY JANA SEMENIUK A Mundare campground resident’s concerns around a possible fire were investigated by Lamont County Emergency Services (LCES) nearly six weeks before a fire claimed two campers and left three people homeless on Jan. 19. Dean Cook, 65, lost his newly renovated 39-foot trailer in the blaze. Cook said he was worried that his neighbour in the campground was not heating his unit in a safe way and lodged a complaint with the Town of Mundare which in turn contacted LCES. Jay Zaal, communications coordinator with Lamont County confirmed the account. “Members of LCES attended the Mundare Campground upon request of the Town of Mundare (on Dec. 17) and spoke with residents about fire safety
and heating trailers safely. As these trailers are considered a private dwelling, LCES cannot enter the premises - SAFETY CODES ACT Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000 Chapter S-1 Current as of April 1, 2023. Section 34(1),” he said by email. The fire not only destroyed two of the trailers but also sent one resident, whose heating unit started the fire, to hospital. According to reports he was released a short while later. Meanwhile, Lamont County Chief Administrative Officer Peter Tarnawsky clarified earlier statements by Zaal around the billing for the Mundare Campground fire at a recent Coffee with a Councillor event in Bruderheim. Zaal indicated through email on Jan. 27 that neither the Town of Mundare or the resident