Around 1545 today the tones for Strathmore Rural went off. They didn't come in clear, sounded like our own tones, so I responded to the Hall to await instructions. Found out that it was Strathmore's tones and not our own. Started closing the bay doors and just listened to the dispatch. It was a grass fire about 20km East of Strathmore.

Immediately the ranking officer in Strathmore requested we send our Bush Buggy out with 2. I contacted our drivers to respond to the hall. One other firefighter showed to make us 4. FF Mackenzie and myself responded in Bush Buggy and informed command that we had 2 at the hall on stand-by if they were needed. Carseland Engine rolls around 1600. It takes us about 35mins to get there as the fire was quite a distance from us, but Command was thinking big, fast. We drove at a decent speed the entire way, using the sirens when needed and not trying to be pushy with drivers ahead of us, hoping they would just see us and move. Which most did.

Buggy arrived on scene and there was about 60% perimeter on the fire which had the hillside ablaze not 10mins before we got there. Driving up a North/South field access road we noticed 2-3 rows of beehives on fire. Thought that was an odd place to have beehives. We staged with Command and got our marching orders. We were to create a perimeter on the South and West flanks of the fire and to keep it from extending into a coulee that it was slowly burning into. We had to be very aware of the incoming CB (thunderclouds) as they were playing havoc with the winds in our area.

We quickly set up the perimeter dousing any visible flame, and laying approx. a 5' wetline around our area. We were then sent to the East side of the fire and told to extinguish any hotspots in the other field that the fire had engulfed. At this point there was already a tractor and discer tilling up the land to create a very solid and wide perimeter. Most of the fuel still smoldering and smoking was cow crap. I'm pretty sure all of it was. Cow crap is a pain in the ass to put out...it just keeps burning! BAH!

After the entire East field was EX'd (extinguished) we moved back into the West field and proceeded to do the same there. We were about 1/2 - 3/4 the way through when we were told to top up the water in our Buggy and leave the scene.

Arrived back in Carseland about 1900, fueled, and washed the truck. Washed our hoses and interior of the truck as we had made quite a mess inside it, getting in and out and having the stinger hose sticking out the window hitting hotspots. We did our truck checks as Carseland Engine rolls back in about 1715, washes, fuels and check it's equipment. We do a small debriefing and call it a call. All-in-all the call went really well. Command had some great communication with all the crews from Gleichen, Cluny, Carseland, Dispatch and Strathmore. IC Adams set a plan when he first arrived, followed through with it, and adjusted accordingly as the weather and fire behaviour changed. The crews worked fast and hard and followed orders well. Good job boys. My estimation for the final size, about 200-250acres. Could be wrong, but I think it's close.