Fifteen volunteer firefighters from the Busby and Pickardville departments left presents halfway opened Christmas morning and responded to a fire in a garage near Busby.
“The call came in as a structure fire,” said John Biro, regional fire chief for Westlock County. “It’s still under investigation. The exact reason for the fire isn’t known right now.”
Biro said that while he did not attend the fire, he was informed of what happened because of his role as regional chief.
The fire broke out in a detached garage on a residential property near Busby. Nobody was hurt in the blaze.
Biro said being interrupted on Christmas morning to attend to duties is all just part and parcel of the volunteer firefighter lifestyle.
“Basically, they’re known to just drop everything and go,” he said. “Being a volunteer, they put in many hours and sometimes miss family events.”
There are a total of six volunteer fire departments in Westlock County, all of which fall under the umbrella of Westlock County’s emergency services.
