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Vol. 20, No. 17, Wednesday, January 29, 2025 www.LamontLeader.com
No charges for trailer owner in Mundare fire BY JANA SEMENIUK No charges are in store for a trailer owner whose heating device caused a devastating fire in the Mundare campground on Jan. 19. Lamont County Communications Coordinator Jay Zaal confirmed the fire’s cause by email. “I can confirm the cause was likely due to the use of heating devices too close to flammable objects,” he said, not specifying what the heating device was. “No confirmation of any illegal substance burning.” Vegreville RCMP detachment Staff Sergeant Colin Folk confirmed the department’s findings. “There’s nothing in the criminal code that regulates what can be used as a heat source,” Folk said by phone interview. “We’re there to support the fire department. If they deem the fire suspicious then we work in conjunction with the fire investigators to conduct the investigation. This was not deemed suspicious.” Despite previous reports that only one trailer was occupied at the time of the fire, three trailers affected by the fire were all occupied at the time.
Two trailers, including the one where the fire started, were completely destroyed while a third was damaged and deemed unusable by owner, Jeff Belanger. “The propane explosions blew out two windows, and my door is now compromised,” said Belanger. “I lost all my winterization.” The drama began in the early morning hours of Jan. 19 when an occupied trailer at the Mundare campground caught fire sometime after midnight. Dean Cook, who lives in a camper beside the trailer was awakened by the sound of his neighbour’s screams. “He was yelling ‘help help’ and my dogs wouldn’t stop barking. So, I looked and saw the flames and that’s when I called 911,” said Cook. Cook added that he was afraid for weeks prior that his neighbour would accidentally start a fire that would consume his trailer. “I warned everybody he's going to burn it down and I'm going to lose my trailer. I've been saying it for over a month,” he said, alleging that his neighbour was not heating his trailer safely. Continued on Page 2
Jeff Belanger, whose trailer sits on the other side of where the fire started, holds up a plastic covering to reveal broken windows he said were caused by exploding propane tanks during the fire.
Fire victim Dean Cook accepts a needed hug from his friend Mary while warming up with a coffee at Mundare's Baba's Bistro on Jan. 22. Below: The remains of Dean Cook's 39-foot newly renovated camper.