SUNDRE – Local firefighters are among a coordinated response from departments throughout the county that have deployed personnel and equipment to Drayton Valley as part of the provincial response to raging wildfires.
“Mountain View County put together a coalition from all the halls to send up to Drayton Valley,” Ross Clews, Sundre Fire Department Chief, told the Albertan.
On the evening of Thursday, May 4, the county’s coalition deployed three units – a bush truck, a tender as well as a support unit – along with eight firefighters, he said, adding two were from Sundre.
By the afternoon of Sunday, May 7, there was a changing of the guard with a shift rotation of fresh members who were deployed, he said.
“We changed them out, and we have another two members still up there,” Clews said yesterday morning, adding he understood their days ranged anywhere between 14- to 16-hours long.
The provincial government declared a state of emergency on Saturday as wildfires spread in several areas fuelled by dry conditions that have prompted officials to issue a provincewide fire ban throughout all of Alberta’s Forest Protection Areas, including the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area where the wildfire danger was as of yesterday morning rated “very high.” The recreational use of off-highway vehicles and backcountry campfires or use of fireworks and explosive devices is prohibited until further notice.
According to the provincial government’s website, there as of Monday morning were 100 active wildfires burning throughout Alberta, of which 29 were deemed out of control.
Departments that dedicate resources to coordinated firefighting efforts must also ensure their own jurisdictions remain covered to ensure they are able to maintain their response capabilities without leaving themselves shorthanded, said Clews.
Throughout the rest of the past weekend, members of the Sundre Fire Department also responded to two other fires and calls in the area. One was late on the afternoon of Friday, May 5 near town in the industrial district where a piece of processing machinery that caught fire was extinguished, as well as an outside vegetation fire southeast of town late the next morning on Saturday, May 6.
“We responded to a mutual aid call for an outside fire in Cremona’s area,” he said.
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Additionally, members of the Sundre Fire Department also responded to some medical calls as well as a motor vehicle collision over the past weekend, he said.
The Town of Sundre issued on Friday, May 5 a complete fire ban that as of Monday morning before press time remained in effect.
“This requires that all outdoor fires presently burning be extinguished and the lighting of any outdoor fires is banned,” reads portion of the order that is posted on the municipality’s website.
“Open fires; fireworks; acceptable burning barrels; acceptable fire pits; acceptable outdoor fireplaces; and recreational fires are prohibited. The only exceptions currently are internal household fireplaces and barbecues.”
As of Monday morning which was overcast with scattered, intermittent rainfall, the forecast was calling for precipitation until Wednesday, with the sun coming back out by the end of the week ushering in temperatures in the high 20 C range.
“I would love it do this for a week straight; or two weeks straight if it doesn’t rain heavier,” he said about the much-needed rain.
There are also fire bans in Mountain View County, Red Deer County, Bowden and Innisfail.
