Slave Lake fire still uncontained, ravaging the town
Posted May 17, 2011 10:21 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A massive wildfire continues to rage out of control in Slave Lake.
More than 10,000 people woke up Tuesday in arenas and community halls hundreds of kilometres away, wondering if their homes are still standing.
Provincial cabinet minister Thomas Lukaszuk calls the exodus from the fires the largest single-day displacement of people in the province’s history.
More than a third of the northern Alberta town has already gone up in flames.
No one is sure when they’ll be able to return back to their lives.
Premier Ed Stelmach surveyed the devastation firsthand Monday and says emergency officials need more time to evaluate the situation.
“I was advised by emergency management that they need a day or two yet to evaluate the whole situation, so it’ll be more than just a few days,” he says.
Slave Lake residents who have been torn away from their homes are taking refuge in Westlock, Athabasca and even Edmonton.
Danielle Snider with the Town of Westlock tells 660News they’ve opened their own homes and community hall to dozens of evacuees.
She says the evacuees are beginning to come to terms with the devastation.
“That first day, of course, they’re very upset when they come in,” she says. “But as the days have gone on here, they’re getting more grip on the situation.”
That situation is dire.
Slave Lake’s town hall, library, local radio station and dozens of homes have been demolished in the fire, which spans over nine square kilometres.
Slave Lake mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee says the flames have spared some crucial buildings.
“The key thing is we’re fortunate with all the key, major infrastructure that’s still standing – our schools, our hospital, our RCMP office, our banks, other critical services,” says Pillay-Kinnee.
Hundreds of firefighters, including a team of 130 from Calgary are on the ground trying to contain the devastating inferno and all access roads to the community remain closed.
660News Meteorologist David Spence says the firefighters are facing two enemies.
“Number one is the fire itself and number two is the weather. More sunshine and more wind forecast across the reason for (Tuesday), but there could be some help along the way as soon as (Wednesday) evening,” he says. “That’s when some rain is expected to spread into central and northern Alberta, giving the firefighters the help they so badly need.”
Many other communities in northern Alberta are also being threatened by wildfires.
Evacuation orders are in place for Martin Lake, Loon Lake and Chisolm, where a big fire in 2001 destroyed several homes.
Evacuation advisories are also in effect for a handful of smaller communities and oil and gas companies have been forced to shut down some operations in the danger zone.
The province has created a special disaster recovery team to help deal with the needs of the fire evacuees over the coming days, weeks and months.
The Red Cross has also stepped in to provide what it can for those forced from their homes.
