333Fire crews are currently battling a fire in the wooded area downhill from Crystal Ridge. Reports came in around 5:03 p.m. on May 23 of light smoke on the hillside south of Crystal Ridge. Keenan Natyzak, owner of nearby business Hail MaXx, saw six youths running from the hillside before noticing smoke rising from the area. "I'd met a client here at the shop and we came back to the shop and we opened up the bay door and when we went outside we saw some kids running down from the hill," said Natyzak. "When we looked up there there was smoke coming. "I talked to my client and my neighbour next door, Shaun [Hill] from Smart Repair and he called the fire department – they were already up top." The flames were closer to the residential area up the hill than the businesses, but Natyzak and Hill brought six fire extinguishers from their shops, handing a few to bystanders to help the flames away from the houses before additional fire crews arrived at the base of the hill at Fisher Crescent. "My building's just this big steel structure, but someone's home's a little more important than my shop." Okotoks Fire Chief Ken Thevenot said the terrain made the fire difficult to combat, but it was under control as of 5:55 p.m. "Upon arrival there was flames at the top of the bush line and there was grass and smaller trees," said Thevenot. "It made it somewhat problematic just because of where it's located, in a hilly and valley area. "We had crews at the top initially fighting the fire, then we were able to set up at the bottom with additional resources, additional firefighters. "We met in the middle and got it under control." Okotoks Municipal Enforcement officer Andy Wiebe was one of the first responders on the scene, assisting fire crews in getting hoses hooked up to several backyards to get a long enough length of hose to reach the flames before a larger fire truck could arrive. "I just asked where fire needed me, and they said 'start hooking up hoses', so I ran from yard to yard to yard," said Wiebe. Okotoks RCMP have not released any statement, but are expected to do so soon. Neither the RCMP nor Okotoks Fire Department have commented on the cause of the fire. Originally posted at 5:47 p.m., updated at 6:45 p.m., and again at 1:27 p.m. May 24.
