The Estevan Fire and Rescue Department were kept hopping on Wednesday night, as they responded to a variety of calls all around the city.

It all started with an illegal fire.

"There was a lot of smoke that was propagating from a backyard. Upon further investigation it was found that the occupants of the house were burning leaves with no proper device in place," related Fire Chief Dale Feser.

He expressed the importance of avoiding this kind of activity, as it is illegal inside city limits and dangerous.

"You can only use approved burning materials in approved appliances or fire pits. An application is required, and it can be obtained here at the fire or city halls free of charge. Once everything has been signed off, you are allowed to burn within city limits. However, you can't burn refuse, leaves or branches."

That wasn't all for the emergency crews.

"We had another elevator rescue call, where one individual was trapped in the northwest end of the city, and that was due to the power outage. We were able to get him out quickly and without incident."

"Right around the same time, we had a residential fire alarm that we tended to. It was just cooking related, nothing too terribly serious," he continued.

"We had just cleared that scene and gotten back to the hall, when we got called out to a carbon monoxide alarm call on the north end of the city. Once crews arrived on scene they did indeed find upwards of 40 parts per million still in the home, even after the owner had opened the windows and doors."

Feser reiterated the importance of not taking any chances with the poisonous gas. 

"It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. When the detection devices are going off, please call 911 for your own safety. If nothing else, the fire department will attend the scene and make sure that the atmosphere is tenable for the occupants."

"If it turns out to be a faulty detector, you at least will have peace of mind knowing that the air is fresh and clean in your home." 

He noted that a gas furnace was the guilty culprit in this instance, and that everything was resolved.

He added that their outing involved fellow emergency services and partners, including SaskEnergy.

However, things didn't stop there, as alarms once again rang for their attention on Thursday morning to attend to two motor vehicle collisions in the north part of town. The first had a few minor fluid leaks to clean up, the other was clear. No injuries resulted from either one.

"They were just a quick in and out to assess the scene until we were no longer needed," said Feser.