Thousands of people have been forced from their homes on Fox Lake and into makeshift emergency evacuation centres.
Communities in High Level, Fort Vermillion and John D’Or Prairire have opened their doors to their neighbours as wildfires rage through northern Alberta. However, they only have so much space to offer the hundreds of people fleeing their homes.
“There’s no place for people to go and be comfortable and all together and that is the thing that I feel … having the children and the elders together,” said High Level Mayor, Crystal McAteer.
This is the 12th time since 2003 that High Level has been used as an evacuation hub, but between hotels and cots in the town arena, the town can take in a maximum of around 1,600 people.
The town has been asking the government for a multi-use evacuation centre for years and have been told the new centre is a priority, but nothing has been approved.
“I was hopeful when I saw 350 million allocated in the budget but now it’s been allocated to Calgary if they build an arena,” said McAteer.
Although the chief of Little Red River Cree Nation agrees a large facility in High Level would be ideal, he says his focus is on the infrastructure here on the First Nation, like paving Highway 58 and connecting the shores of the Peace River.
“I think if we had the proper infrastructure in northern Alberta … I think we would have been a little faster at getting people out,” said Chief Conroy Sewepagaham.
The only way in and out of Fox Lake is by barge over Peace River. This led to panic on Thursday when, at one point, there were 600 people waiting to cross. Once on the other side, there are kilometres of gravel road that lead, at times, to blinding dust.
“If we had got all the vehicles out, some 1,000 vehicles out and on that road, it would have been another catastrophe,” said Sewepagaham.
Thankfully, everyone made it out safe and no injuries were reported as of Saturday morning.
In addition to wildfires burning close to communities, the fires are burning close to roads, leading to a number of closures. In some cases, this is making it even more difficult for Albertans to get out of areas under evacuation orders.
In northern Alberta, the highway closures include Highway 33, Highway 88, Highway 750, Highway 749 and Highway 750.
For the latest information on highway closures due to wildfire, visit 511 Alberta.
An additional 500 evacuees are expected as an emergency evacuation notice was issued for Rainbow Lake Saturday afternoon. In response, High Level is setting up its curling rink at the High Level Sports Complex for the newcomers.
“Fox Lake evacuees are currently staying in the arena portion of the building and Rainbow Lake residents will be provided space in the curling rink,” a news release from the Town of High Level explained.
“We are currently working on providing space for Rainbow Lake residents who are travelling with their holiday trailers,” Bill Schnarr, the town’s communications coordinator, said Saturday.
The province addressed the rapidly growing wildfire situation in Alberta Saturday during a noon news conference.
“Municipalities are mandated to have the evacuation plans in place before an event like this happens,” said Alberta assistant deputy minister Stephen LaCroix, as he addressed the issue of space for evacuees. “Traditionally, about 25 per cent of people being evacuated actually show up at a reception centre.”
Rainbow Lake resident Cathie Johnson said this is the first time she’s been evacuated in 11 years, despite there always being wildfires around them.
“You kind of get numb to it,” she said of the wildfires that ravage B.C. and Alberta every summer. But she said she trusts in the teams fighting the fires and is remaining calm.
“If you panic, that’s when things go wrong,” said Johnson. “Those people put their lives on the line, especially the ones on the ground, the hat crews, and they don’t get enough credit for what they do,” she added of the fire crews.
Michelle Farris, mayor of Rainbow Lake, said the fire grew significantly over night and while the winds are currently pushing the fire away from town, she said it could just as easily switch directions and push back into town.
“We didn’t want to have residents scrambling for 20-minute evacuation notice, right. So, we made the choice (Saturday) morning to give them six and a half hours to pack their stuff,” she said.
She said most people were already prepared, having started getting their things together when the fire broke out Wednesday.
Farris, like other residents, isn’t overly concerned about the fires.
“I feel as if I’m going to come back to my home. I think we made the right choice on evacuating our citizens prior to.”
Shawn Schempp lives in High Level and works in Rainbow Lake. He said northern Albertan communities deal with these wildfire situations every year, and what they want is a five-mile-wide agricultural barricade around the northern communities to protect them from wildfires.
“I expect the government to do that — 100 per cent,” he said.
“We don’t need to go through this every year. This is ridiculous.”
While many feel this wildfire activity is normal compared to previous years, Rainbow Lake resident Kevin Bourque doesn’t feel the same.
“It’s crazy,” he said as he packed up his camper. He is unsure where he’s going to go, as options are limited due to highway closures and other fires.
He said it’s “surreal” to experience helicopters overhead and sirens going off.
“Central Alberta and northern Alberta are essentially at the mercy of these forest fires and everyone’s lost their sense of normalcy. Trying to get through it and pray for rain — I think that’s the only way this is going to stop.”
A fire ban and off-highway vehicle restriction is in place for the area due to dry, hot and windy conditions.
— With files from Erin Chalmers, Global News