Wildfires across Alberta have destroyed many homes, including on East Prairie Metis Settlement in the Slave Lake region, where more than two dozen homes have burned.
At least 27 homes were burned in the remote community near High Prairie and 14 had people living in them, according to Raymond Supernault, chairperson for East Prairie Metis Settlement.
“I’m very sad. Look at my community it’s all burned down,” he said, gesturing to the blackened tree trunks around him — all that remained of the lush Boreal forest in the area.
Brad Desjarlais, a firefighter in the community, said it has been extremely dry in the area, especially the grass, so the fire hungrily spread.
“It was fast, like really fast,” he said. “It was fast and zig-zaggy. It went this way and that way.”
A bridge in the community was also destroyed, meaning some members may not easily get home even if the evacuation order is lifted.
Residents were allowed to return for a couple of hours Monday, although they were warned what they would find could be emotionally difficult to see.
On Monday night, the province said the fire named the Grizzly Complex — which is actually three wildfires very close together — remained out of control at 56,500, 19,024 and 8,136 hectares respectively.
The fire is is seven kilometres from High Prairie and the town is on a one-hour notice to evacuate.
Firefighters, helicopters conducting bucketing operations and heavy equipment operators are working on this wildfire.
The province said while cooler temperatures and some light rain have been received across the area, the amount is not enough to improve conditions significantly or for the long term.
Fine fire fuels such as dead grass require only a few hours of warm temperatures to dry out and become flammable, Alberta Wildfire said.
Further north in Fox Lake on the Little Red River Cree Nation, more than 40 structures — mostly homes — have been lost to wildfire.
Darryel Sowan, the community’s emergency management communications co-ordinator, said some 3,700 people left the area quickly after the evacuation order was put in place last week.
There is no road into the community, so people had to use boats and higher-risk people were flown out.
“Because it’s isolated, a lot of those people have never even been away from the reserve,” Sowan said.
“We want to get them back there and they want to go home. We are trying our best.”
Reception centres were operating in Edmonton and Calgary to help evacuees and arrange for shelter.
The provincial government’s financial aid will be a one-time payment worth $1,250 per adult and $500 per dependent child. The money is to be available starting Tuesday via e-transfer and only to those forced to spend at least seven consecutive days away from home. People can apply online or by phone, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said at a news conference Monday.
Smith spoke on the phone earlier Monday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau promised help, including a matching fund with the Red Cross to help affected people.
“All weekend, we were watching images from the communities affected by these wildfires and I assured Danielle that we will be there to help,” Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa.
— By Steve Lambert in Winnipeg, with files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Saskatoon, Colette Derworiz in Calgary and Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa and Karen Bartko, Global News
Comments