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Fire Destroys Wapasu Lake Cookhouse

Fire Destroys Wapasu Lake Cookhouse
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
Wapasu Lake seasonal property owner Mike Menard was shocked to hear about the cookhouse fire that completely destroyed the structure the evening of May 4.
“I ran out of the house. I could see the flames, just barely, in between the trees on my neighbours’ place. There was no point going down there. I’d just be in the way.”
He was also angered by the incident. “It destroyed a public building that lots of people use. Lots of people come from Vegreville and Innisfree, other places to sit here and enjoy the lake. In summertime there’s all kinds of families here. Not to mention all of us here that has kids and grandkids use the playground here.
If the wind had been going this way that night, (gesturing to the south of the cookhouse) these trees would have all been gone, and it would have jumped across to those trees. This whole area would have been gone.”
Menard had also been alerted by a neighbor the previous evening about a fire in a pit that was in fairly close proximity to the cookhouse with flames estimated to be shooting about 12 feet high in the air.
As to whether the County can do anything to better protect the park, Menard said, “All they can do is put some trail cams up to get a picture of every license plate that comes in here.”

Mike Fundytus, Director of Protective Services for the County of Minburn said a fire was reported on May 3 at 10:38 pm. “Upon arrival, our fire crews found a group of individuals gathered around a fire pit in the recreational area. The group immediately extinguished the fire upon our arrival. Our department took the opportunity to educate them on safe burning practices and verified that the fire was fully extinguished.
On May 4 at 9:38 PM, we were dispatched to Wapasu Lake for a fire at the cookshack. By the time we arrived, the structure had been completely burned. Our team extinguished the remaining remnants of the fire.
The following morning, our contract fire investigator conducted an investigation, and we are currently awaiting the findings.
Subsequently, Fundytus said, “We responded to a call at Wapasu Lake regarding a fire involving the cleanup crew on May 9 at 12:08 PM. The fire was extinguished, and we cleared the scene by 1:05 PM.” A member of the cleanup crew, told the News Advertiser, the fire re-ignited inside the truck they had piled posts, debris, and other materials from the cookhouse the afternoon of May 9.
Norm De Wet, Director of Operations for the County of Minburn, stated that: “The building is insured for $32,000. The cleanup, which has already been taken care of through our insurance, is estimated at approximately $8,000, about 25 percent of the building's value.
We are actively working with our insurance provider and Council on plans for a replacement structure. This will move forward as soon as reasonably practical, pending final approvals. We're committed to ensuring a suitable and positive outcome after the fire.”
