FLEEING FROM THE FLAMES
Man hurt during harrowing escape from grass fire
In the midst of a massive, fastmoving fire that swept through southwest Saskatchewan on Tuesday, Edward Riehl headed out to try to cut fences to let the family cattle herd loose to avoid the flames.
“Unfortunately, on his way there the smoke was starting to get heavy,” said Riehl’s son, Kent.
His 74-year-old father pulled over near an intersection roughly 10 kilometres south of Burstall, where he came across James Hargrave, a volunteer firefighter from Walsh, Alta., driving a water tanker, as well as a third person.
“As they were talking, the wind shifted and literally threw the fire right on top of them,” said Kent, who says his father describes the scene as “pitch black.”
They realized immediately it was time to get moving. The third man’s vehicle drove straight and disappeared into the dark. Hargrave, according to Kent Riehl, got into his truck and tried to negotiate a turn at the intersection.
“In the pitch black, because they couldn’t see, he missed the turn and went down the ditch,” he said, adding the water in the truck caused the vehicle to flip on its way down.
Edward, because it was so dark, could see only the lights of Hargrave’s truck and followed behind.
“Unfortunately, by the time he realized they were down in the ditch, he slid up and just came to a rest up against the (water) truck that was upside down,” said Riehl. “The challenge then though, was that the fire was on them. They were in the fire.”
Edward resisted the temptation to help Hargrave because “he was in the middle of the fire and just had to get out.”
Hargrave would not survive his injuries.
At that point not knowing the condition of the man he’d just met though, Edward was able to get back onto the gravel road, where he could put himself out and starting running to try to get help.
By this time, family and others were out looking for Edward and a neighbour came across him on the road. Edward was taken to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, where he is being treated.
Riehl says there is a lot of emotion in the family now, in part because his father feels bad for not being able to help Hargrave.
Edward has extensive burns on his hands and knees following his ordeal. His injuries will, according to his son, “be repaired in time” but not before surgeries and “lots of rehab.”
Edward was one of three people seriously injured in Tuesday’s wildfire.
Hargrave, a 34-year-old father was the only person killed.