Wheatland farmer Sherri Yule estimates she has uninsured losses of more than $100,000 from the October grassfires.
The damage includes 24 antique tractors, fencing and a water well.
“We can’t have any animals here because we can’t hold them in with any fences and we can’t water them,” she told Global News. “So we won’t be having any animals here till at least spring.”
Watch below from Oct. 18: Smoke from the wildfire burning on Siksika First Nation could be seen from the Global1 helicopter.
Now Wheatland County is stepping up to try and help Yule and other farmers with uninsured losses from the flames that ripped through the area last month.
The county council says it is reaching out to the Alberta government this week.
“Wheatland County Council made a motion to send a letter to the province of Alberta, requesting support disaster relief for some of our residents that had uninsurable losses,” Wheatland’s chief administrative officer Allan Parkin said.
Watch below from Oct. 18: Dallas Flexhaug interviews Gerald Barstad, 85, who fled the Wheatland County wildfire with nothing but the clothes on his back and takes a first-hand look at the damage left behind by the blaze.
Other farmers like Michele Brownlee know some losses are covered. But Brownlee is unable to return to her farm house due to smoke damage now being repaired by contractors.
Instead, she has been living temporarily in a Strathmore motel with her sister and two cats.
“This is day 23, yeah, and we have moved three times to three different rooms….so that has been stressful, as well,” she said.
Wheatland County is hoping that affected farmers will get their money early in the new year.
Alberta’s agricultural minister said he couldn’t provide a firm dollar figure for the damages. Oneil Carlier said those losses are still being calculated and may not be known for several weeks.