PENHOLD - Area firefighters are returning home this week following seven to 11 days of assisting hundreds of others battling the raging wildfire south of High Level.
"We've been released from there," said Jim Pendergast, chief of the Penhold Fire Department, who was in High Level last week as a member of the first of three crews sent to the area to join about 390 wildland firefighters and staff battling the out-of-control Chuckegg Creek wildfire, which is burning about three kilometres south of the town of High Level. The wildfire is now more than 150,000 hectares in size, and has forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents from the town and area.
"All three sets of firefighters were actively involved every day in firefighting," he said, adding Penhold's firefighters - 11 men and one woman - were on the front lines of the battle against the enormous wildfire.
Pendergast said the first crew was assigned to protect Norbord Inc., a leading global manufacturer of wood-based panels. They were deployed to a nearby range road where there were several threatened structures.
"That was where the fire was active," he said, adding firefighters during their 11-day deployment were also tasked to prevent the wildfire from crossing Highway 35. "That (wildfire) became a very, very intense and difficult fight throughout Wednesday afternoon (May 21) and into the night....very dangerous, yes."
He said all Penhold firefighters are coming home safe and unharmed from their intense firefighting duties.
The Innisfail Fire Department sent one member to High Level last week and he too is returning this week following seven days of service.
Gary Leith, the chief of the local fire department, said his firefighter joined three others from Red Deer County to form a four-man tanker crew who were also assigned firefighting duties on the wildfire, as well as structural fire protection duties in the Town of High Level.
Leith said his fire department is not sending any other assistance at this time.
"The need has diminished, and therefore they are being released, and at this time we are not sending any more personnel," said Leith.
