The Village of Baddeck, N.S., will take a closer look at its fire hydrants after the volunteer fire department’s chief claimed one was damaged prior to the devastating Inverary Resort fire.
The blaze on June 7 destroyed the main lodge of the historic resort.
READ MORE: ‘I got out just in time’: Fire destroys part of Inverary Resort in Baddeck, N.S.
In a letter to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board (UARB) on June 14, Chief Darren MacAulay of the Baddeck Volunteer Fire Department says he was writing to “express serious concerns” and is looking for advice on how to get the village to maintain its hydrants.
He goes on to describe how firefighters arrived in the early hours of that day and tried to use a hydrant on the property, but it “did not work.”
MacAulay tells the UARB the fire department had previously “urged” village commissioners to repair and maintain the hydrants.
WATCH: Massive fire destroys iconic Inverary Resort in Baddeck, N.S.
He also says that in November 2016, the village provided the department with a list of hydrants and whether they had full flow, limited flow, or no flow.
The chief notes that the Inverary Resort hydrant was listed as having full flow.
READ MORE: Community of Baddeck, N.S. comes together in wake of Inverary Resort fire
But according to MacAulay’s letter, the village has not kept up with inspections and flushing schedules on the hydrants.
“Despite our repeated requests, inadequate inspection and maintenance of fire hydrants remain a grave problem. The Village of Baddeck has failed to ensure proper water flow of hydrants, putting the public at risk,” he writes.
In response, a letter from the chairman of the Village of Baddeck was also sent to the UARB and dated June 20.
Brian Morrison writes that the commission had since met with the fire department and discussed their concerns. They also came to a set of recommendations, that were “agreed to by both parties.”
WATCH: Community of Baddeck unites following devastating fire
According to Morrison, the village is putting a plan in place to test and do complete maintenance on all the village-owned hydrants. The testing will be done with a public works employee and a fire department representative, and the results will be given to the fire department.
In light of the Inverary Resort fire, the village is also planning a meeting for all organizations involved with the fire that night to discuss what happened and the roles and responsibilities of each group. They are also making arrangement for a third party to inspect that particular hydrant.
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