(ANNews) - Members of Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN) who were forced to evacuate due to wildfires were able to return home on Aug. 5.
Residents of the John D’Or Prairie and Fox Lake reserves were ordered to evacuate on July 20, and Garden River on July 10, due to the out-of-control Semo Wildfire Complex approaching their lands from the north. The complex consists of six out-of-control wildfires in the High Level Forest Area in northwest Alberta.
The largest blaze, identified as HWF061, is 97,506 hectares in size 19 km northeast of John D’Or Prairie and 15 km north of Fox Lake. HWF136, which is 6,188 in size, is 13 km northwest of Garden River.
As of Aug. 1, there were 463 firefighters and support staff, 18 helicopters and 70 pieces of heavy equipment working on this complex, which consists of six fires.
LRRCN Chief Conroy Sewepagaham has been providing wildfire updates to band members in videos in Cree and English on the LRRCN Facebook page.
On Aug. 1, Sewepagaham told band members that the perimeter of HWF061 was about 300 km, with 1.8 per cent of it contained.
“It’s still a marathon,” he said, adding that there’s been some rain, but not as much as the firefighting team had hoped for. “Every little bit helps.”
Evening dew caused by cool temperatures forecasted over the next week, Sewepagaham added, are anticipated to stop the fires from growing, which will allow residents to return.
“We’re pretty confident that with the cooler evenings, despite the lack of rain, the fire — knock on wood — won’t flare up like it did a couple weeks back,” he said.
Evacuated band members have been staying in High Level, Edmonton and Peace River.
Sewepagaham said LRRCN will have buses and other transportation coordinated for a “controlled re-entry” to each reserve beginning on Aug. 5.
“Can’t wait to see you all,” said the chief.
Members of Chipewyan Prairie First Nation (CPFN), located near northeast Alberta’s Lac La Biche Forest Area, were ordered to evacuate from the Janvier 194 reserve on July 18, due to the 214-hectare Kettle River Fire.
By July 25, the fire had more than tripled in size to 765 hectares, but the evacuation order was lifted because a firebreak had been established to halt its spread.
Residents of the John D’Or Prairie and Fox Lake reserves were ordered to evacuate on July 20, and Garden River on July 10, due to the out-of-control Semo Wildfire Complex approaching their lands from the north. The complex consists of six out-of-control wildfires in the High Level Forest Area in northwest Alberta.
The largest blaze, identified as HWF061, is 97,506 hectares in size 19 km northeast of John D’Or Prairie and 15 km north of Fox Lake. HWF136, which is 6,188 in size, is 13 km northwest of Garden River.
As of Aug. 1, there were 463 firefighters and support staff, 18 helicopters and 70 pieces of heavy equipment working on this complex, which consists of six fires.
LRRCN Chief Conroy Sewepagaham has been providing wildfire updates to band members in videos in Cree and English on the LRRCN Facebook page.
On Aug. 1, Sewepagaham told band members that the perimeter of HWF061 was about 300 km, with 1.8 per cent of it contained.
“It’s still a marathon,” he said, adding that there’s been some rain, but not as much as the firefighting team had hoped for. “Every little bit helps.”
Evening dew caused by cool temperatures forecasted over the next week, Sewepagaham added, are anticipated to stop the fires from growing, which will allow residents to return.
“We’re pretty confident that with the cooler evenings, despite the lack of rain, the fire — knock on wood — won’t flare up like it did a couple weeks back,” he said.
Evacuated band members have been staying in High Level, Edmonton and Peace River.
Sewepagaham said LRRCN will have buses and other transportation coordinated for a “controlled re-entry” to each reserve beginning on Aug. 5.
“Can’t wait to see you all,” said the chief.
Members of Chipewyan Prairie First Nation (CPFN), located near northeast Alberta’s Lac La Biche Forest Area, were ordered to evacuate from the Janvier 194 reserve on July 18, due to the 214-hectare Kettle River Fire.
By July 25, the fire had more than tripled in size to 765 hectares, but the evacuation order was lifted because a firebreak had been established to halt its spread.
