A police road flare was stolen from Geikie Street as firefighters battled a house fire in Jasper two weeks ago.

The local RCMP detachment attended and remained at the scene to investigate the cause of the fire and to control pedestrian and vehicular traffic. 

To protect fire hoses, which were run across the street to a hydrant, the RCMP put four road flares out at the intersection of Cedar and Geikie Street, near the Royal Canadian Legion.

When officers returned from their investigation, they discovered that one of the flares had been stolen.

Typically, road flares are single-use products, but the Jasper RCMP had switched to reusable battery-powered “e-flares” in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly. The flares, which are bright yellow with a black rubber base, emit a bright red strobe light.

The e-flares are sold as a set of four for $100. Standard single-use flares, on the other hand, are about a dollar each.

Sgt. David Maludzinski, of the local detachment, said his effort to have a gentler impact on the environment may be cancelled out by the theft of the flare.

“They’re really awesome things for us here to be a little more environmentally friendly,” he said, adding the mess and smell of typical phosphorus flares is unappealing. “I don’t want to go back that way but I can’t keep dishing out $100 every time people steal these things.”

Both the e-flare and its base have been inscribed with the words “Jasper RCMP.” The flare doesn’t have much use to anyone, Maludzinski said. 

The flashing red light may be visible at night through a window, so anyone who sees or knows anything about the missing e-flare is asked to call the Jasper RCMP at 780-852-4421.