Residents on edge as wildfires burn out of control
Posted May 16, 2012 7:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
These are tense moments for residents of northeastern Alberta as two wildfires continue to burn out of control.
One blaze near Bonnyville has forced the evacuation of 12 homes at Forsyth Lake.
The RCMP says the wildfire has moved in a northwest direction as a result of changing winds, which has now put residents in the area in danger.
“A lot of phone calls coming into our office and the town of Bonnyville’s office just questioning where it’s at, concern about their homes,” says Chief Administrative Officer Ryan Poole.
He says they’ve stopped the front of the first fire, keeping it from growing in size.
But Poole warns it is still out of control.
A second fire that ignited south of the town led local officials to declare a state of emergency.
Local kindergarten teacher Blythe Gerrie tells 660News the mood for many in the mood is tense.
“A couple of people in school have been talking a lot about it,” she says. “The kids around town are really interested in what’s happening, especially because it’s so close and it does affect some of their lives.”
Gerrie says she’s been relying on the grapevine and what she reads over the internet for a lot of her information.
“I haven’t heard anything official from the town but I figure if it does become a threat, hopefully I’ll hear something,” she says.
Water bombers and Alberta Sustainable Resources crews continue to work at containing a 1,000 hectare blaze at Grassland.
Elsewhere, firefighters have made progress with the fire near Lodgepole and say it is now under control.
Oil patch companies continue to monitor the situation.
Several spokespeople have told The Calgary Herald that operations so far have not been affected.
According to a provincial website, at least 14 wildfires continue to burn across Alberta.
