It's time to extinguish the rumours going around about the recent fires in Swift Current.

With the recent structure fires in the city generating a lot of hearsay in the community, it's a good time to douse the rumours before they have a chance to catch on and spread.

Swift Current Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief, Pete L'Heureux, has responded to these various fires himself and has participated in various fire investigations over the years, not limited to just these most recent ones.

"All the fires that happened in the community over the last little bit are accidental fires," L'Heureux clarified immediately. "They've been coincidental. They've been accidents. They've been poor circumstances happening to families. Nothing has been intentional. We don't have a rogue arsonist on the loose like I've seen some interesting [social media] posts."

L'Heureux asks people to make sure they clear the way at these fires, as these are people's homes and personal property that they are trying to save from the flames, along with medical and other response calls.

"We're asking for people to yield the right of way to emergency vehicles," stated L'Heureux. "We are going out to help the community. We do need to get there as quickly as possible."

Individuals should endeavour to pull off to the right when a firetruck or other emergency vehicle is en route. If you are in the left-hand lane on a double lane, pull over to the shoulder, while remaining as safe as possible.

"Let us let us go to the emergency," requested L'Heureux. "The other thing is that once we're there, or on our way there, lots of times vehicles are driving up, they're coming through, they're driving by the scene because they want to see. It's always interesting, and I understand that, but it causes grief for emergency vehicles."

Crowds gathering at the scene of an incident, be that a fire, a crash, or a medical episode, can be distracting for the responders, as they now have to not only worry about dealing with the emergency but also about people getting too close. The best thing to do is go about your day and trust them to do their jobs well. Updates can always be found later online, with official sources helping to avoid any rumours from starting.