Fire crews from several municipalities responded to a large structure fire at a cannabis facility in Aldersyde, Alta. Around 5:47 a.m. Wednesday, Foothills Fire responded to a large commercial warehouse on fire along 82 Street E., north of High River. “When they arrived on scene, they had seen smoke and flames coming out of the second-floor windows,” said Will Scheerhoorn, battalion chief. “They did try to do a quick interior attack, but it was too hot, too much for them, and so they stuck strictly to defensive operations.” Crews from High River, Okotoks and Diamond Valley also responded to attack the blaze. “Good interagency collaboration—everybody worked well together,” Scheerhoorn said. Crews were seen battling hot spots around the lunch hour, as heavy machinery tore down the remaining parts of the building. According to the AGLC website, the facility is Grass Monkeys Premium Craft Cannabis. Its website says it offers cannabis to the medicinal markets but also a fun craft product experience for recreational customers. Scheerhoorn says the blaze was challenging to get under control. “The fire itself is quite contained within the steel structure, so it’s very difficult to fight,” he said. “Obviously, water has always been an issue over in this area, and with it being a rural response, we got firefighters coming from different communities. So the response time is delayed here compared to the city.” Scheerhoorn says the call came in through its 911 dispatch centre, and the cause remains under investigation.
