Calgary firefighters heading to Slave Lake
Posted May 16, 2011 2:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Firefighters from Calgary are already on their way to Slave Lake to lend a hand in the fire-embattled Northern Alberta town.
Deputy Chief Ken Uzeloc tells 660News, the Calgary Fire Department is sending volunteers to the area to assist in getting the blaze under control.
“It will be about a hundred fire suppression personnel along with approximately nine firefighting pieces of equipment, including engines, some quints and some support vehicles going along with them,” says Uzeloc. “And we’re going to be sending them out in two waves.”
Uzeloc says the first wave of firefighters will be looking at a 4 to 6 day stay.
“We’re actually utilizing in this first wave off-duty crews,” Uzeloc. “And then we’ll work on getting the rest of the 50 positions from the rest of our staff.”
The Calgary Fire Department had plans in motion to assist in Slave Lake before getting a formal request for help.
“At five this morning, Chief Burrell received a request from Alberta Emergency Management Agency for firefighting equipment and firefighting personnel to assist with the protection and structural firefighting in the town of Slave Lake itself.”
The town of 7000 is in the process of being evacuated. So far, fire has consumed a shopping centre, the local high school, the town hall, RCMP detachment and is threatening the local hospital. The 29 patients at the hospital have been moved to hospitals in neighbouring communities.
