Altona and Rhineland Emergency Services (ARES) responded to a road bridge fire Tuesday afternoon. At 1:48 PM, ARES responded to the call northeast of Rosenfeld. There were no injuries, however the bridge was a total loss.
Chief Greg Zimmerman says fire fighters were able to extinguish 85 per cent of blaze in the first few minutes, thanks to the department’s new foam truck. However, by the time crews could get around to the other end of the bridge, it had burned too far, and the structure collapsed.
Zimmerman suspects the cause of the blaze to be arson. RCMP are investigating.
Once the fire was out, the cleanup work began. In order to catch any contaminants and debris that fell into the stream below, crews set up booms downstream. Winkler Fire Department's HAZMAT team provided some of the absorbent material used. A piece of heavy equipment also remained on scene to fish out debris from the waterway.
ARES was on the scene for the afternoon and into the evening. The cause has not been determined.