Golden RCMP officer and Good Samaritans extinguish a fire outside of Golden, BC.
Image Credit: RCMP Website
August 19, 2023 - 7:00 AM
The quick actions of Good Samaritans and first responders helped to extinguish a dangerous forest fire in a residential area of Golden, this week.
On Wednesday Aug. 16, 2023, at approximately 4:40 p.m. Const. Mark Tataryn of the Golden RCMP BC Highway Patrol noticed a forest fire on Highway 1 near Forde Station Road.
When Const. Tataryn arrived, the fire was already 20 metres wide and engulfing large trees.
He used fire extinguishers from multiple RCMP vehicles and other motorist vehicles that stopped by to help.
Fortunately, while Const. Tataryn was battling the flames, a Kootenay pumping truck was travelling down the highway and was able to stop and assist.
Using the pump and water lines, the group of RCMP officers and citizens were able to slow the fire in time for the Golden and Nicholson Fire Departments and BC Wildfire Services to come in and eventually extinguish the fire at 8 p.m. local time.
“Without the quick thinking of Const. Tataryn and staff from Kootenay Pumping, the outcome could have been devastating for the community,” said Cpl. Lucas Sovio of the Golden-Field RCMP. “A special thank you to all of the local residents, passersby and first responders who helped fight the fire. Rob Ford, Mike Faucet, Brady Hubert, Robert Cowan, and others whose names we did not get, were amongst those Good Samaritans who stopped to lend a hand.”
The fire is suspected to have started from a tree that fell onto powerlines near Highway 1.
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