North Battleford Fire and Emergency Services has released figures on how much it is expected to cost the fire department to continually respond to nuisance dumpster fires in the city.
The average cost expected for the year is $19,452, according to an Oct. 11 memo from Fire Chief Pat MacIsaac.
This figure was calculated based on a projected figure of 38 dumpster fires for the year, which would reflect the current trend which has seen 28 dumpster fires in the first three quarters of 2011.
According to MacIsaac, the fires require an average of 4.2 full-time and part-time firefighters in 1.25 average fire engines per response. Consumables included approximately 10 pails of class A foam.
The numbers were presented to the full municipal services committee Oct. 17 and were in response to a query from Councillor Trent Houk at the September municipal services meeting.
Houk said he thought the fires would have cost a little more than that. Still, the costs remain a concern, he said.
According to the September numbers there have now been 31 fires to date in 2011.
Houk raised the prospect the dumpster fires could end up causing far more serious damage and could "burn down a house here."
He suggested the city revisit the idea of moving away from communal bins and switch to individual rollout bins throughout the city to stop the spread of such fires. That idea has been on hold due to cost concerns.
