Town, County take on support role for Slave Lake response

The wildfires that continue to rave Slave Lake are proof of how fast situations change, said the County's director of Disaster Management.

Mark Oberg, County manager and director of Disaster Management, said every community could be better prepared to handle a situation like that in Slave Lake. As of 10:30 a.m. on May 17, the wildfire in Slave Lake remained out of control and has burned approximately 2,000 hectares.

Many of those residents affected by the blaze have been relocated to Westlock Community Hall, 10711-104 Ave., the Athabasca Multiplex and the Edmonton Expo Centre. Emergency medical staff are onsite and were made available to evacuees requiring assistance or medication. Meals were also available, as well as counselling services and spiritual resources upon request.

"We are thankful for the emergency preparedness session we had with the Town earlier this year, but you can never be too prepared for something like this. "

Both the Town and the County have taken on a support role in the relief efforts for residents of Slave Lake. Town acting municipal manager Kathy Vickery said she was in contact with the municipality of Slave Lake on Sunday telling officials that if they needed anything, to not hesitate to ask. As well, the Town of Barrhead has remained in contact, on a daily basis, with Westlock and Athabasca offering assistance for the Slave Lake evacuees, and should they require further assistance, they will be contacting the Barrhead office, Vickery said.

As of May 17, a little more than 500 people had registered at the Westlock Community Hall, Vickery said, but only a small number of those people were actually staying there. Many sought out hotels, motels or even campgrounds, while others went on to stay with family and friends in other communities.

Furthermore, because there are a number of ongoing fire issues within the County, no firefighters have been sent in an official capacity to Slave Lake, said fire chief Gary Hove. One member of the local fire department was sent, as he is employed in Slave Lake, while another member is helping to quell the flames of another fire.

Since the weekend, five new fires in the County kept local firefighters busy. Four of those fires have been extinguished, Hove said, while the fifth fire is currently being contained and extinguished by the landowner.

The outpouring of support for the people of Slave Lake has been overwhelming, County councillors said. However, organizations like Family and Community Support Services, is asking anyone interested in donating money or time to help the cause to call first before doing anything.

FCSS executive director Linda Mueller said the Barrhead office has been in contact twice daily with the Westlock office to determine what are the needs of the day.

"The needs of these people are changing all the time, " Mueller said. "Anyone willing to donate can call our office and see what the immediate needs are, and we will make sure it gets there. "

There is also a volunteer co-ordinator in Westlock who would be available for find any jobs that need to be done for anyone who wants to physically lend a helping hand.

"We've been getting a lot of calls, " Mueller said. "People are very kind and just want to help. "

Scotiabank announced a corporate donation of $25,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to support relief efforts in Slave Lake.

"We are all shocked and saddened by the damage that the fires have caused in Slave Lake, " said George Marlatte, Scotiabank senior vice-president, Prairie Region. "While we are deeply grateful that members of the community are safe and accounted for, many, including several of our employees, have lost homes and have seen a large part of their town destroyed. We deeply hope that our donation will help this community to heal and rebuild. "

Scotiabank's branch in Slave Lake is currently closed. The Bank is looking at alternate accommodation until a permanent solution may be found. In the meantime, branches in nearby Athabasca and Westlock have extended their hours and are ready to serve customers from the Slave Lake area.

"Our employees will work individually with customers who have been affected to find solutions to any difficulties that arise as a result of the fires, " said John Matheson, Scotiabank District Vice-President, North Alberta District. "Scotiabank has been a proud member of the Slave Lake Community since January 1969 and we are committed to being part of the rebuilding. "

According to Sustainable Resources Development, there are presently 100 wildfires in Alberta, 23 of which are out of control. These active wildfires have burned approximately 105,000 hectares of land. In the Lesser Slave Lake area alone, 15 wildfires are burning out of control.

Alberta has deployed approximately 1,000 firefighters across the province, including 120 who arrived May 16 from British Columbia. The province has also deployed 124 helicopters, 20 air tankers and scores of heavy ground-based machines. Approximately 80 firefighters from Ontario were scheduled to arrive in Alberta at 11 a.m. today, followed by 200 additional firefighters from British Columbia expected to arrive in Alberta tomorrow.

As a result of the wildfires, and the high winds experienced across all of Alberta, the complete fire bans implemented in both the Town and County of Barrhead and Lac Ste. Anne County remain in effect. All permits for fires other than burn barrels are cancelled. No fire permits will be issued until further notice, and all fire permits for burn barrels are suspended.

Any fires currently burning must be extinguished immediately. This fire ban covers all open fires, including campfires, fires used for cooking and warming, fireworks, charcoal briquette barbecues and all burning barrels. Residents are being asked to monitor extinguished fires in case of holdover fires that could reignite due to dry conditions.

For more information, contact the Town at 780-674-3301, or the County at 780-674-3331, or the Emergency Response Centre at 780-674-2087.

For information regarding Lac Ste. Anne County contact 780-785-3411 or 1-866-880-5722.