Coalhurst train derailment - provided photo

By Dori Modney

Grass fires, combine fire, semi tip-over, train derailment – busy day for fire departments

Sep 5, 2020 | 10:31 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — It was a busy day for fire and emergency crews around southern Alberta on Saturday.

It began around 10:30 in the morning, on University Drive, when a vehicle struck the back end of transit bus at the entrance to the university field. No reported injuries.

Vehicle bus collision – photo credit to Nathan Jensen

Just after the noon hour, a semi carrying peat moss landed on its side on Highway-3, at the east end of Coaldale. One west bound lane was closed for several hours. No injuries reported.

Tipped semi on east end of Coaldale – Jack Van Rijn

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The Coalhurst Fire Department dealt with a seven hour derailment at the marshaling yards in the town (no details yet on damage) and then put in five hours at a large grass fire on the Blood Reserve, which closed Highway 509, about 14-kilometres south of Highway-3. The fire crews were back at their station around 9:30-pm.

Blood Reserve fire seen from West Leth. – Photo Justine Bilodeau

There was also a combine fire close to Warner and to east coulee. Water trucks and assistance from area families and a Hutterite community, as well as fire crews, were able to extinguish the fire and save a farmhouse at the bottom of the coulee.

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