A fire broke out late Tuesday (Dec. 10) night, destroying the RM of Britannia’s maintenance shop and equipment.
Crews fought the flames for hours before extinguishing the fire early Wednesday morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Britannia Fire Department shared details about their response.
"We were called out to the fire at midnight last night," stated the department on Dec. 11. "Crews arrived on the scene with two tanker units, a pumper unit, an aerial unit, and a command vehicle."
The fire had already been burning for some time before firefighters were notified.
"We worked to protect nearby buildings and bring the fire under control," they explained. "Crews cleared the scene at 6 a.m. Thankfully, no one was injured."
Bryson Leganchuk, Chief Administrative Officer for the RM of Britannia, confirmed the incident destroyed the nearly 2,000 sq. ft. shop.
"The building, constructed in 1966, was used for equipment storage," Leganchuk said. "It was appraised at $250,000."
The incident also destroyed four vehicles:
- A 2020 Western Star semi snowplow truck
- A 2019 Western Star semi with a sander unit
- A 2025 Peterbilt semi
- A 2022 Dodge half-ton truck
"The total equipment loss is estimated at $1.2 million," Leganchuk stated.
Meanwhile, despite the loss, snow and ice removal will continue.
"We are renting a semi snowplow truck to resume salt and sanding operations by Dec. 13," Leganchuk said. He thanked neighbouring municipalities for their support.
"We appreciate the help offered by RM of Frenchman Butte and the County of Vermillion (River) to continue with snow and ice removal operations in the meantime," he said. "We would also like to thank the RM of Britannia fire department for their response to the fire."
The RM of Britannia is insured for the damages.
"We are working with insurance providers to recover and return to normal operations," Leganchuk said.
He says there shouldn't be a noticeable change for residents when it comes to local snow removal.
"Currently, we are using other equipment for snow removal. There shouldn’t be any noticeable changes for residents," said Leganchuk.
Read More: Fire consumes shop in RM Britannia - Meridian Source
Locally owned and community driven, the Lloydminster Meridian Source is the online news source in the Border City. Whether it’s breaking news, features or sports, if you have questions about what’s going on around town, Source it with us.
Since online platforms no longer support the sharing of news, we encourage you to bookmark meridiansource.ca. Whether you’re having a coffee or enjoying a meal, check in any time for the most up-to-date news in Lloydminster.
