Two fire departments were needed to help battle a fire in Carnduff last Friday. A shop, owned by Bett’s Drilling, was engulfed by flames that quickly threatened to spread to neighbouring structures.

Carnduff Fire Chief Clint Paton explained the fire started around midnight on December 30th, and they quickly set to work.

“When we got there, the gas line was burning full-bore,” Paton stated. “That’s when we decided to call in the Oxbow Fire Department as well, because there were rig shacks to the north that were close to the building.

Paton said the most they could do was let it burn until the gas was shut off, and then they began to attack the fire. They used foam to help keep the fire at bay until the gas line could get shut down. From there, crews spent nearly half the night on the scene, working until 4:30 a.m. Friday morning.

The structure was a total loss, according to Paton. He added no one was injured in the blaze. He speculated the fire may have been caused by a boiler or furnace failure, but the official investigation is still ongoing.