Thieves steal more fire equipment, this time from Beasley Fire Hall
By The Nelson Daily Staff
The Beasley Fire Department, located west of Nelson on Highway 3A, has been rocked by the theft of nearly $40,000 in fire equipment stolen from a trailer outside the fire hall late last week.
It is believed the theft of pumps, generators and chainsaws from an emergency trailer happened on or around July 16. Volunteer firefighters noticed the lock was cut on the trailer parked in the Hall lot during a check of the equipment at the Beasley Fire Hall.
Dan Elliott, Communications Officer with the Regional District of Central Kootenay, said thieves used a grinder to remove the lock before stealing the fire equipment.
Elliot said it’s “disheartening” and “disappointing” that people would steal fire equipment used by firefighters especially during this current fire season.
This is the second theft of fire equipment in the West Kootenay during what has been a horrific wildfire season in the area, and province.
The RDCK said sometime between Saturday, July 10 at 7 p.m. and the early morning of Sunday, July 11 while performing fire perimeter checks, fire crews became aware of critical emergency firefighting suppression equipment that had be stolen from the Merry Creek site near Castlegar.
The RDCK said stolen equipment, worth approximately $2,000, included more than 1,000 feet of forestry hose and six sprinklers used to protect a home in the 500 block of Highway 3.
Elliott said the Castlegar RCMP is handling the file.
The Kootenays have been dealing with several major fires in the region, including the Trozzo Creek fire near Winlaw and two major blazes near Fauquier and Edgewood, prompting the RDCK to issue Evacuation Alerts.
Anyone with information regarding the thefts of fire equipment is asked to contact Castlegar RCMP’s non-emergency line at 250-365-7721.
