BOYLE — In the week after Boyle and surrounding residents were evacuated from their homes to escape the northbound flames of a growing wildfire south of the village, many locals have made it their mission to thank the volunteers who worked day and night to stave off the blaze and save their homes and community.
According to Athabasca County, volunteers from the Colinton, Grassland, Richmond Park, and Caslan fire departments assisted in the days-long response to the fire, as well as staff from public works, recreation and agriculture departments.
Mutual aid was received from 12 different organizations across the province. Town firefighters from Athabasca converged to help crews from Alberta Wildfire, Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Kikino Métis Settlement, Lac La Biche County, and Lesser Slave Lake region.
Trucks and bodies also arrived from the communities of Flagstaff County south of the Yellowhead, as well as Strathmore, Penhold, and High River, travelling between 300 and 500 kilometres to provide assistance.
But first on the minds of locals are the ten members of the Boyle Fire Department who put their personal fears and stress on the back burner to face the flames head on.
“You just go to work, you just start doing what we’re supposed to be doing,” said Boyle Fire Chief Darren Hill.
“As for the stress of losing the community or my house, honestly I don’t know if I was really thinking about that at the time, (I was) just trying to help anyway we could out there and try it keep it from spreading, from getting closer to town.”
Hometown volunteers were among the first crews to respond on Tuesday, May 6, alongside the crews from Athabasca, Colinton and county public works. Crews worked throughout the night, getting their first rest and recuperation break around noon on Wednesday as additional resources arrived.
Boyle crews returned to assist on Wednesday evening, and after the 36-hour evacuation order was lifted on 10 a.m. on Thursday, small groups took turns travelling around the burn area monitoring hotspots.
Ten-year-old Tala Lachance said the days she and her family spent at her Nana and Papa’s place, waiting for news on the fire and the fate of the village as the sky filled up with smoke, were scary.
But after returning to find her family home and community untouched, the young girl pivoted from fear to gratitude, and got busy baking a batch of thank-yous she hoped would resonate with village volunteers.
“They put the fire out before it reached Boyle,” said Tala. “I didn’t have enough money to buy anything for them to say thank you, so I decided to make some cookies for them.”
All on her own — with a little help from mom, Sarah — Tala whipped up special micro-mini egg cookies, and as members went door to door to search for a missing senior on Sunday night, Tala took the chance to show exactly how much their efforts meant to her.
“They said they were really good,” said Sarah. “Kelly (Chamzuk), when you gave them to her, she said, ‘Oh, that is so sweet, I think I’m going to cry.’”
Daniel Canales-Murphy, general manager of new Boyle eatery Peggy’s Bistro, said the thought of losing the months of hard work put into the restaurant ahead of the April 22 opening date, was an unpleasant feeling, to put it lightly.
“There was a lot of emotion. We put in a lot of time and energy into this place, and it felt like it all could be gone in an instant,” said Canales-Murphy.
After returning to the community on Thursday, Peggy’s was open and ready to serve regular patrons on Friday, May 9, with a special deal for volunteers who worked on the fires front lines — a burger, fries and soda, all for the fair price of completely free.
“We wanted to express our deepest gratitude for their heroic efforts there and saving our small town. They all put their lives on the line to keep us safe and we felt completed to support them in a meaningful way,” said Canales-Murphy.
An additional donation of $100 from Dan and Liza Gauthier allowed the bistro to extend their offer into Saturday as well. While they didn’t keep track of the exact number of meals provided, a small number of volunteers stopped in to dine at the Bistro and Canales-Murphy and co-owner Nikola Topalovic delivered 32 meals themselves.
Canales-Murphy said seeing the outpouring of support for the volunteers was a response unfamiliar to him, but one that showcased the strength of small communities like Boyle.
“We came from Vancouver, so it’s quite, I’m going to say, a culture shock.”
Also quick to showcase her appreciation for volunteer efforts was Denise Lang-Wells. Despite having been in a vehicle collision that totalled her jeep while evacuated in Edmonton, the photographer and artist began working on a commemorative piece for the fire department shortly after returning to the village.
Using her husband’s woodworking skills and the equipment in her engraving studio, Lang-Wells inscribed the Firefighters' Prayer onto a wooden plaque and presented the piece to members of the department, including Chief Hill.
“It warms our hearts when you get the little things here and there,” said Hill of all the support given by the community. “We go around town and people are thanking us.”
“We don’t ask for that to happen, but it’s always nice when it does happen.”
Hill said in the aftermath of the blaze, the fire department is hoping to continue its annual expansion of equipment for the arsenal with the purchase of more structure protection sprinkler systems, more portable tanks, and other necessities for fighting wildland fires.
Monetary donations to the department can be made at the Village Office, and tax receipts for contributions over $20 will be issued.
