Alberta wildfires: Hard-hit Metis settlement still under evacuation order, resident wants more help
Global News
At a news conference to provide an update on the provincial wildfire situation Monday afternoon, Alberta Wildfire was asked about resources in the settlement area.
More than two weeks after the threat of wildfire prompted an evacuation order for East Prairie Metis Settlement in northern Alberta, a community member’s social media post is drawing new attention to the situation there and he is calling for more help from the province.
“I think the province needs to step up,” Marcel Desjarlais told Global News on Monday, noting he was disappointed with how firefighters were deployed into the area and when.
He said while the province did deploy firefighters, he believes local volunteer firefighters could have used more help earlier and still could now. He noted that at least 24 homes in the community have already been destroyed by wildfire this spring along with vehicles and other equipment.
At a news conference to provide an update on the provincial wildfire situation Monday afternoon, Alberta Wildfire information unit manager Christie Tucker was asked about resources in the settlement area and concerns being raised.
“We have 56 firefighters and four heavy equipment groups working on the fire there,” she said, adding that crews have been recently focusing their efforts in that area on the northwestern parts of the fire with helicopter support.
She said crews were told to leave another area where the fire was being fought there because of safety concerns posed by the flames.
“Our No. 1 priority when we’re fighting wildfires is preserving human life, and communities as well,” Tucker said, adding Alberta Wildfire personnel work closely with local firefighters. “It’s a team effort … we do what we can to inhibit the fire from approaching the community.
“No firefighter wants to see a fire getting into a community, and it’s something they work very hard to avoid.”