A team Westlock-area firefighters was deployed to help battle an out-of-control blaze in Fort McMurray last week.
On one-hour standby notice on Wednesday, May 4, crews officially got the call in the late afternoon.
“It means that if I give you the call, you’re on the road within an hour,” said town fire chief Stuart Koflick.
Eight town and county firefighters met at the town fire hall and were on the road to Fort McMurray by 5 p.m. and fighting the fire by 4 a.m. on Thursday morning.
The town fire department sent a crew consisting of Dan Lucyk, Bill Smith, Stephen Walker and Terry Herrick, while Westlock County also sent a four-man crew of Mark Feitsma, Todd Terrault, Mike Mielke, and Jared Stitsen.
Late Wednesday night, Westlock County firefighter Perry Lumayko was also deployed along with a town fire engine.
At the time of the call, the fire had consumed more than 10,000 hectares and destroyed over 1,600 buildings. The Westlock firefighters joined more than 250 colleagues to help fight the blaze.
Crews were not given any specific tasks before leaving, other than they were needed and that they could be needed for as many as five days.
“At this point, the resources arrive on site, they check in at the camp, or at the staging area,” said Koflick.
“From there they get a briefing on the situation, they get assigned to a task and a function and a supervisor and they’re assigned their duties.”
Koflick said local members were eager to get the call.
“When the potential call come out, guys were chomping at the bit to get out of here,” Koflick said.
“We had to wait for the call, but everybody is excited to help.”
County fire chief John Biro said it was a careful balance between helping others in need, while maintaining adequate numbers to help battle local fires during peak wildfire season.
“We’ll do our best with the resources we have,” Biro said. “We’re always there for our neighbours. Between the town and the county, we’re sending eight guys and that’s a big resource.”
County crews were selected from different rural departments to alleviate stress on any one department.
“We don’t want to deplete one department by sending too many resources,” Biro said.
