Alberta, Canada News

[NJFFSA16]

FORT MACKAY, Alta. (CP) - Hundreds of residents were forced from
their homes Wednesday when a forest fire burned to within five
kilometres of their northern Alberta hamlet.
The out-of-control blaze was south of the tiny community, about
400 kilometres north of Edmonton when officials told the 260
residents to leave about 3 p.m. local time. Strong winds were
fanning the fire westward, said provincial fire officials.
But not everyone felt the need to leave.
While most people rushed to leave, Bernadette Gladue, 52, said
she decided to stay in her home with her six-month-old
granddaughter.
"People were panicking and I asked them, `For what?'," she
said. "I was watering my lawn when everyone was passing by."
Gladue said she's seen a fair number of forest fires over the
years and this one is not close enough for her to worry about.
"Not for five kilometres, I won't run away for that."
Gladue said she could see big clouds of smoke south of the
hamlet but the air was fine, not smoky, even six hours after the
hamlet was evacuated.
The fire blackened 1.4 square kilometres of forest and heavy
smoke forced the closure of Highway 63, the main highway in and out
of the community. The Mildred Lake airstrip had to close due to the
blaze, says Alberta Sustainable Resources.
As well, about 1,300 Syncrude employees working at its Aurora
mine site were stuck at work due to the highway closure, said Randy
Provencale, spokesman for the crude oil producer.
But the oilsands company got a convoy of 15 buses to transport
their stranded employees on the smoky highway back to their homes
in Fort McMurray, Provencale said.
"We are in the process of getting them out," he said. "But we
are not sure how long that process is going to take because there
are a lot of vehicles lined up."
"We are monitoring it, but our intention is to have our
day-shift out there if we can."
The fire was also near the northern boundary of Syncrude's main
plant, said Rick Strickland, provincial forestry spokesman.
The 260 residents of Fort MacKay, along with residents on the
nearby First Nations reserve and 100 workers from an area oil camp,
were taken out of the area by bus to a hockey rink in Fort
McMurray.
It not known how fast the fire was burning but strong winds and
30 C temperatures were hampering firefighting efforts, said
Strickland.
A thunderstorm was expected Wednesday evening but officials were
unsure of how much rain it would bring. Lightning starting new
fires was also a concern, Strickland said.

Seven air tankers, five helicopters and 18 firefighters were
battling the blaze. Syncrude also sent two water trucks to help
with the blaze, Strickland said.
However, conditions slowed down some of the firefighting
equipment.
"There was heavy black smoke that really reduced our efforts
with the air tankers," Strickland said.
Bulldozers were also digging a protective trench around the
community.
It is not known when the residents will be able to return to
their homes.
"They are temporarily evacuated until it is safe to return to
the community," said Angela McGonigal, spokeswoman for the
regional municipality of Wood Buffalo.
Another forest fire Wednesday near Prince Albert, Sask., north
of Saskatoon, was burning out-of-control.
The fire had grown to more than half a square kilometre but
winds pushed the fire away from surrounding communities and there
were no evacuations.
In May 2002, a fire south of Fort McMurray forced the closure of
Highway 63 for two days leaving residents stranded.
In 1999, a fire north of Fort McMurray again closed Highway 63
and cut two oilsand mines off from the city.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[NJFFSA16]

June 19th

FORT MACKAY, Alta. (CP) - Firefighters were hoping to use
cooler, more humid weather to their advantage Thursday after a
forest fire forced the evacuation of a northern Alberta hamlet.
"The weather's turned around for us a little bit," said
provincial forestry spokesman Rick Strickland.
About 260 residents were forced to leave Fort MacKay on
Wednesday when the out-of-control blaze burned to within five
kilometres of the south edge of the tiny hamlet, about 400
kilometres north of Edmonton.
Strong winds were fanning the fire westward at the time, said
provincial fire officials.
However, wind direction changed overnight and blew the fire
toward the Athabasca River.
"(It's) a fairly wide river and it's a good break for us,"
said Strickland.
As well, temperatures fell 10 degrees to about 20 C and humidity
also rose significantly.
"Things are looking a little bit better for us today,"
Strickland said.
Not everyone felt the need to leave Fort MacKay.
Bernadette Gladue, 52, decided to stay in her home with her
six-month-old granddaughter.
"People were panicking and I asked them, `For what?'," she
said. "I was watering my lawn when everyone was passing by."
Gladue said she's seen a fair number of forest fires over the
years and this one is not close enough for her to worry about.
"Not for five kilometres. I won't run away for that."
Gladue said she could see big clouds of smoke south of the
hamlet but the air was fine, not smoky, even six hours after the
hamlet was evacuated.
The size of the fire remained unchanged overnight at about 1.5
square kilometres.
For a while, heavy smoke forced the closure of Highway 63, the
main highway in and out of the community. The Mildred Lake airstrip
had to close due to the blaze.
As well, about 1,300 Syncrude employees working at its Aurora
mine site were stuck at work due to the highway closure, said Randy
Provencale, spokesman for the crude oil producer.
But the oilsands company got a convoy of 15 buses to transport
their stranded employees on the smoky highway back to their homes
in Fort McMurray, Provencale said.
The fire was also near the northern boundary of Syncrude's main
plant, said Strickland.
The 260 residents of Fort MacKay, along with residents on the
nearby First Nations reserve and 100 workers from an area oil camp,
were taken by buses to a hockey rink in Fort McMurray.
"We just finished renovating our house," said Donnelly Alook,
who was seeking refuge at the rink.
"We put a lot of work into that house. And I left my car at
home and hope the fire doesn't go close and blow up the house."
Calvin Kennedy, who also left his home and was at the rink,
praised the firefighters.
"The fire crews are doing a really good job out there. There
are guys on standby if worse comes to worse."
Seven air tankers, five helicopters and 18 firefighters were
battling the blaze. Syncrude also sent two water trucks to help
with the blaze, Strickland said.
Bulldozers were also digging a protective trench around the
community.
It is not known when the residents will be able to return to
their homes.
Another forest fire Wednesday near Prince Albert, Sask., north
of Saskatoon, was burning out of control.
The fire had grown to more than half a square kilometre, but
winds pushed the fire away from surrounding communities and there
were no evacuations.
In May 2002, a fire south of Fort McMurray forced the closure of
Highway 63 for two days leaving residents stranded.
In 1999, a fire north of Fort McMurray again closed Highway 63
and cut two oilsand mines off from the city.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Not sure about up north, but its been pouring rain here all day.

Friday, June 20, 2003
Premier says bush blaze beaten
By JERRY WARD, LEGISLATURE BUREAU


FORT SASKATCHEWAN -- Premier Ralph Klein says it appears to be just a matter of time before firefighters in northern Alberta gain the upper-hand on a forest fire that has forced about 260 people from their homes.

"I flew over the fire site," Klein said last night in Fort Saskatchewan at a Shell Canada Ltd. function.

"It was encouraging to see that the wind had turned and the fire was turning back into itself, so that is a good sign.

"We observed it was quite a ways away from the community, and unless something has changed there is no longer a threat and hopefully the winds will die down or at least keep blowing back into itself and we'll have this thing under control in no time at all."

Klein was in Fort McMurray, 450 km northeast of Edmonton, earlier in the day to attend the first of two grand opening ceremonies for Shell and its partners' $5.7-billion Athabasca Oil Sands Project.

While in Fort McMurray Klein visited an arena that was housing evacuated residents.

[NJFFSA16]

7/27

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - About 100 residents of the Crowsnest
Pass in southwestern Alberta fled their homes Sunday afternoon as a
giant forest fire started moving quickly toward their tiny mining
community.
Another 400 people were put on evacuation alert, meaning they
had to be ready to move with just one hour's notice.
Jerry Rejman, a councillor with the Municipality of Crowsnest
Pass, said most evacuees had already made arrangements to stay with
friends or family in the area.
"If they don't have a place to go, we've opened up the
Crowsnest Community Centre in Blairmore for them to report to," he
said. "There's accommodations there, we also have cots and other
things there."
Rejman said the evacuation of about 25 acreages along the Adanac
Road and in east Hillcrest along the river was mandatory.
"We had our fire department go to every home and tell people
they had to leave," he said. "We've closed the road there and
it's now manned so nobody can go up that road. For the rest of
Hillcrest, we had members of other fire departments going door to
door, telling them about the one-hour alert."
Rejman said there is concern that homes in the area could be
destroyed.
"It depends on how fast the fire is going. What it has done in
these last few hours is actually move into another section ...
where all these acreages were."
There is also concern that part of the fire is burning south of
the larger, nearby community of Blairmore.
"It doesn't seem to be moving as rapidly as the Hillcrest one.
That's a concern, should the wind shift further north. But right
now, that's not of an urgent nature."
Patrick Loewen, provincial wildfire information officer, said
the blaze had grown to 70 square kilometres by Sunday morning -
doubling in size from the night before.
Loewen said the fire was out of control and the situation was
not looking good.
"The weather for today is not favourable," he said. "We're
expecting high temperatures, low humidity and winds out of the
southwest at 15 to 20 kilometres an hour. We're experiencing
extreme fire behaviour."
Loewen said there were 300 people fighting the blaze and more
were on the way.
Townspeople started watching the sky Saturday, as Mayor John
Irwin declared a state of emergency.
"There's major billows of black smoke and tonnes of water
bombers are flying overhead," said Andy Vanderplas, a Hillcrest
resident and owner of the town's Drum Creek Mercantile.
"It's kind of like a war zone - it's worrisome to say the
least."
At times and at its top speed, the fire has been estimated to
move at 27 metres a minute, easily capable of outpacing a human,
especially on the steep terrain.
"It's certainly one of the worst I've been on in Alberta,"
said incident commander Andy Gesner.
Livestock was being moved to nearby farms and work vehicles to
nearby towns.
A fire just as big was continuing to burn in Glacier National
Park in Montana, about 100 kilometres south.
Firefighters were also fighting a number of blazes across
British Columbia.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[RspctFrmCalgary]

ooops I was going to post that update here http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/sho...threadid=51510

NJ here I thought I actually posted something in the right place this time but I guess not if you didn't see my thread.

[NJFFSA16]

There IS a method to my madness. Instead of creating new threads...I add replies to the category. Alberta wildfire news.....goes here.

Wild isn't it?

[RspctFrmCalgary]

yeah but I forgot

[NJFFSA16]

7/28 update

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - More than 1,000 people in southwestern
Alberta were told Monday to be ready to flee their homes on
one-hour's notice as raging forest fires threatened communities in
the area.
Fire crews were working around the clock battling a blaze fueled
by high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions that already forced
more than 100 people to evacuate their homes Sunday in the
mountainous area located 150 kilometres southwest of Calgary.
Resident Glen French said he was ready to drive his truck jammed
with his possessions away from the area whenever authorities give
the evacuation order.
"Anything I can't replace - all the mattress money, jewelry,
pictures, films and CDs, and my computer," French said.
"If the house burns down, I'm not coming back."
The expanding 93-square kilometre inferno, known as the Lost
Creek fire, prompted officials from the Municipal District of
Crowsnest Pass to issue alerts to about 700 residents in Hillcrest
to be ready to leave on one hour's notice.
Similar alerts were given out to 300 residents in the Castle
Mountain, Beaver Mines Lake, Lees Lake, Burmis Mountain Estates and
Hiawatha areas in the nearby Municipal District of Pincher Creek.
Another 150 people living on the outskirts of the communities of
Blairmore and Coleman may also be issued evacuation alerts if the
fire gets worse, said John Irwin, mayor of the Municipal District
of Crowsnest Pass.
"It's very concerning, frightening," Irwin said. "This is a
very serious situation."
More than 500 firefighters were battling the fires, supported by
21 helicopters, 18 water trucks and 24 bulldozers.
Retired firefighter and Hillcrest resident Roy Lazzarotto said
cinders from the fire were falling on benches in front of his
house.
"This is a bad one," he said. "I've never seen one like
this."
When asked what he was going to do, Lazzarotto said he and wife
Eda were ready to "jump in the truck and go.
"Eda is going to take a few clothes and some pictures," he
said. "But I hope to God it doesn't come to that."


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Wildfires have 1,000 in southwestern Alberta on alert to flee their homes

CAROL HARRINGTON

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - Scorching temperatures and shifting winds played havoc as a raging wildfire threatened to roar down the mountains Monday and destroy homes in the picturesque Crowsnest Pass.

About 1,000 residents were told to be ready to flee on an hour's notice from the Lost Creek fire, which was burning near several communities along the southern pass through the Rocky Mountains. The fire was first spotted Wednesday and had grown to 93 square kilometres by Monday. About 100 people were evacuated on the weekend.

Looking south from the town of Blairmore, residents saw fire shooting from the tops of mountains. Embers from burning pine needles floated by.

"We were sitting out there last night and it was like a little shower of pine needles and ashes," recalled Ron Calihoo, who took in the display with his wife, Bitsy. "I'm looking out the door now and I've got a bunch of pine needles."

Overhead the sky was cleaved in two: to the north, blue sky and white puffy clouds; to the south, thickening grey-orange smoke and haze.

On the ground, the bulldozers and graders rumbled through town on their way to dig fireguards to stop the blaze, reported to be 1,000 C in spots.

The situation looked promising early Monday, with winds blowing the fire away from populated areas. But after lunch they shifted back.

"We are at the whims of the wind. It's right at our doorstep and that's scary for people here," said Jerry Rejman, head of emergency services for the Municipal District of Crowsnest Pass.

Residents were concerned the fire, which was climbing up Iron Stone Ridge, would make it to the mountain's peak and begin rolling towards town.

"If the fire comes down the ridge and comes down those two valleys, we are in big trouble . . . Right behind that ridge, the flames are quite big. It's just billowing dark orange smoke. You could see flames.

"It's hard to visualize how we'd handle that massive an evacuation."

The pass is an 18-kilometre stretch that is famous for outdoor pursuits like hiking, skiing and mountain climbing.

Three popular campgrounds have been shut and travellers sent fleeing. Charred trailers litter the Lynx Creek campground, which was destroyed.

The lush forested area is also home to ranchers who've begun moving their livestock out over the last two days.

"The valley is just full of smoke and for anybody that has breathing problems, ventilation problems - it burns the nostrils with smoke," said Rejman. "You go outside and all you're doing is breathing smoke right now."

The fire even stopped production at Shell Oil rigs in the area and forced the relocation of many oil barrels, said Rejman.

More than 500 firefighters were battling the fire, supported by 21 helicopters, 18 water trucks and 24 bulldozers. More equipment was expected to help fight the blaze, which was described as a finger fire.

"It jumps areas and sets out little fingers," explained Rejman. "You get these little fingers of fire going away from the main fire and eventually those fingers may meet and then you end up with a bigger fire."

People from the area have clustered around an information trailer in Blairmore for updates.

Resident Glen French said he was ready to drive his truck, jammed with his possessions, away from the area whenever authorities give the evacuation order.

French said he was taking "all the mattress money, jewelry, pictures, films and CDs, and my computer.

"If the house burns down, I'm not coming back."

Krzysztof Machula and wife Maria said they were forced from their East Hillcrest home of nine years with only their family photos, some clothes and their insurance policy.

"We are very worried about the house," said Maria.

Officials have issued alerts to 700 residents in the town of Hillcrest to be ready to leave on one hour's notice.

Similar alerts were given out to 300 residents in the nearby Municipal District of Pincher Creek.

"I'm trying to take this as one more lesson in life as to what is and isn't important in your life," said Twyla Wiebe, who moved to Hillcrest in November.

"When you're looking at a whole house full of things and you've only got the trunk of a car to fill up, you go around and take things like pictures and valuables. There's a lot of things you look at and think 'I can live without that.' Furniture, TVs, couches, bedding - that's replaceable."

Another 150 people living on the outskirts of Blairmore and the community of Coleman may also be issued evacuation alerts if the fire gets worse, said Crowsnest Pass Mayor John Irwin, who toured the fire by helicopter Monday with Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Guy Boutilier.

"It's very concerning, frightening," Irwin said. "(The fire) can spit ahead and skip areas."

Boutilier said it is costing the province about $1 million a day to battle the blaze. Most of the cost is for the helicopters.

Meanwhile, 400 firefighters continued to fight a blaze near Thompson, Man., that has consumed about 370 square kilometres of timber and bush.

In the Northwest Territories, a huge forest fire burning north of Norman Wells blanketed the town with smoke Monday.

About 100 children and people with respiratory problems were moved to Inuvik last week as a precaution. The blaze posed no immediate threat to the community, located about 600 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife.

In British Columbia, crews were battling 184 fires around the province as a heat wave continued.

Winds continued to spread a large wildfire that was threatening cabins and ranches near the southwestern community of Chilko Lake.

The Canadian Press, 2003

07/28/2003 20:51 EST

[RspctFrmCalgary]

This is part of Calgary Herald article ..... rest was basically same info already posted about the Crowsnest Pass. Jasper is my home town!!! Apparently a controlled burn got out of control. I'll have to rely on the news because my parents, brother & his g/f are camping in Camrose (by Edmonton) at the Big Valley Jamboree and my sister & her family are in Manitoba. wahhhhhh I wanna go camping too. wellll what mom and dad do can hardly be called camping in that cushy bus/motorhome LOL


Meanwhile, in Montana, firefighters have bulldozed an old road in an effort to protect a town and the Glacier National Park headquarters complex from a spreading wildfire.

West Glacier will be evacuated if the fire moves to within five kilometres of the town, fire information officer Andy Williams said. The town has some 250 permanent residents and grows to about 400 in the summer. The fire has about one kilometre to go before reaching that trigger point, Williams said.

Three wildfires in Glacier National Park had chased away thousands of park visitors, and had blackened more than 16,000 hectares. One fire, in the northwest portion of Glacier, destroyed six houses.

The fire nearest the Alberta border is not threatening Waterton Lakes National Park, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

"We're worried because we have an extreme fire hazard, and there are fires all around us," Janice Smith said. "We have a huge threat of having a fire ignite."

Smith said two helicopters and a crew of firefighters are on standby. Akamina Park Trail has been closed and officials are considering closing other backcountry areas.

Firefighters in southeastern B.C. were also busy over the weekend, battling more than a dozen fires.

Air tankers and several helicopters, working in conjunction with 40 firefighters, worked to halt the initial spread of a fire near Sulphur Creek, 20 kilometres north of Fernie. The fire was still burning in a remote area Sunday, but posed no threat to homes.

Investigators at the site quickly determined the fire was sparked by an abandoned campfire that was illegally lit, and are working to identify suspects.

A forest fire burning in Jasper National Park threatened to disrupt traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway, after winds transformed an environmental burn into a wildfire Sunday.

"It is getting closer," said Tim McMurran at Pocahontas Bungalows, as he watched the smoke from the motel complex, located near the highway at the Miette Hotsprings turnofft.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said the fire was moving to the south along the Rocky River valley.

With files from the Associated Press and Colette Derworiz,

Calgary Herald

[NJFFSA16]

7/29

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - Light winds were blowing a raging
wildfire parallel to threatened communities in the Crowsnest Pass
Tuesday, allowing crews to build fire lines to buffer populated
areas in the mountainous region of southwestern Alberta.
The Lost Creek fire, which forced 100 people from their homes
and had more than 1,000 on alert to leave on an hour's notice, grew
to 115 square kilometres.
Officials were worried the fire, which was about one kilometre
away from a steep valley, could shoot down the hollow towards the
closest towns of Blairmore and Coleman, with more than 4,400
residents.
"Sometimes topography is more important than the wind," said
Kim Morton of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Water bombers dumped chemical retardant south of Coleman so that
heavy equipment operators could cut a path toward the fire.
"When a wildfire is rolling forward through a valley, sometimes
water doesn't help," Morton said.
The fire hazard was so extreme the Alberta government banned
public access to a 1,400 square-kilometre area south of Blairmore.
Less severe restrictions, such as a campfire ban, were imposed on
an huge area running 150 kilometres north of the threatened
communities.
The fire, burning out of control since last Wednesday,
originated at the Lynx Creek campground, where charred trailers
litter the grounds. Several kilometres north of the camp, about 100
residents in the town of Hillcrest were evacuated last weekend.
Six days after the fire began, officials were still
investigating how it started.
The wildfire is costing the province about $1 million a day for
650 firefighters supported by 18 helicopters, seven water bombers
and 30 bulldozers.
Logging crews, meanwhile, have hacked away dense bush and trees
along a nearby natural gas pipeline to clear a 60-metre wide swath
of bare earth to act as a fire break.
Many of the people on alert to possibly leave their homes packed
some belongings - photos, jewelry and clothing - and nervously
awaited developments.
"We're just hoping it's not going to affect us," said Tom
Bubniak of Coleman, just east of the B.C. boundary. "It's been
really scary."
Townsfolk woke up to favourable weather Tuesday, including 8 C
temperatures and 85 per cent humidity, with blue, clear skies
instead of billowing smoke. But the mercury quickly shot up to the
high 20s, the humidity dropped to 25 per cent and smoke again began
to flow through the area.
Many residents were amazed that the usual northwestern winds
weren't howling through the corridor of these peaks and valleys.
"For calm winds to prevail - and from the east at that - is
really quite incredible," said Nancy Horstaff.
If the wind continues to be mild, officials said crews would be
able to mount a more effective attack on the blaze.

Hot, dry conditions were also causing headaches for crews
fighting an out of control fire in Jasper National Park Tuesday.
Traffic on Highway 16, the main road into the park, faced delays
due to blowing smoke from the fire.
In Thompson, Man., rain brought much-needed relief for crews
battling a big forest fire 21 kilometres south of the community.
The rain on Tuesday helped extinguish parts of the fire, and
allowed firefighters to work to contain the blaze, said spokesman
Tom Mirus.
The fire has consumed 400 square kilometres of forest since
being sparked by lightning more than two weeks ago.
In the Northwest Territories, crews continued fighting wildfires
near several communities.
North of the largest fire near Norman Wells, fire crews
completed a controlled burn to fend off a blaze that has blanketed
the town in smoke for several days.
More than 180 wildfires continued to burn in B.C., including a
large blaze near Chilko Lake in the Cariboo.
On Monday hundreds of people evacuated areas near West Glacier,
Mont., because of a wildfire that threatened to choke off U.S.
Highway 2.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[FireHairedWoman]

Lost Creek Fire

Hi,
I'm new to this whole online ff talk thing but as I used to live in the Crowsnest area, the lost creek fire is of great interest to me (I still have friends and family there). I have been reading everything I can find about it and talking to people there, but would appreciate any updates from ff'ers who have been down there within the last week. Also am interested in finding out exactly how close to Waterton park etc. Are they getting a handle on it? Thanks for any replies or updates and may you always be safe from harm. Blessings,
Tara

[NJFFSA16]

Re: Lost Creek Fire

Originally posted by FireHairedWoman
I have been reading everything I can find about it and talking to people there, but would appreciate any updates from ff'ers who have been down there within the last week.

Tara, I will endeavor to find updates on the newswires and post them here. This is the latest news, as of July 30th.

For current maps and news about this fire, login to the Alberta wildfire website here:

ALBERTA WILDFIRES



NJFFSA16

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - The mountain wildfire threatening this
picturesque southern pass through the Rockies grew in size
Wednesday, but winds kept it away from the area's two biggest
towns.
Nevertheless, 100 people from east Hillcrest remained away from
their homes as crews battled the 119-square-kilometre Lost Creek
fire.
About 2,700 people from the municipal districts of Crowsnest
Pass and Pincher Creek were told to be ready to leave on an hour's
notice, but some had already chosen to leave.
Officials did force the evacuation and closure Wednesday of a
string of campgrounds that dot the landscape. The last time a
forest shutdown was issued in the province was in 2001.
The closure affected five provincial parks - famous for outdoor
pursuits such as fishing, hiking, skiing and mountain climbing -
nestled between Highway 3 and Waterton Lakes National Park.
Because the fire did not creep toward the larger towns of
Blairmore and Coleman, firefighters were able to better secure the
area by completing a 10-metre-wide fire guard to the east of the
blaze.
The forecast for more hot and dry weather, coupled with shifting
winds, will keep fire crews on their guard, said Norm Brownlee,
provincial wildfire information officer.
"Once (the winds) start coming. . . they will be challenging
all the work we have done," he said.
Because a temperature inversion Tuesday night kept air from
moving upward and pushed down a suffocating blanket of smoke over
Crowsnest Pass, the entire region was placed under medical alert.
Paramedics were ready to respond to calls from anyone
complaining of inhalation problems, said Jerry Rejman, head of
emergency services for the Municipal District of Crowsnest Pass.
"The smoke was very thick and biting to the nostrils,"
explained Rejman. "It was very acidic. . . That smokes filters
into your home, the minute you open the door it's into your
house."
Logging crews kept busy throughout the day hacking away dense
bush and trees along a nearby natural gas pipeline to extend a wide
swath of bare earth to act as a fire break between the blaze and
the communities.
Because the pipeline is buried deeply beneath the ground, there
is no threat posed by the blaze, said a spokeswoman for the company
that owns it.
"All of our natural gas pipelines are buried underground so
there is no threat to the pipeline itself," said Heidi Feick of
TransCanada Corp. "A fire above ground is not going to have any
effect."
Even if a fire were to roll directly above the pipeline, she
said there would be no disruption to the flow of gas, which cuts
through British Columbia and flows into the United States.
However, the week-old wildfire, which started in a campground,
has already halted production at Shell Oil rigs in the area and
forced the relocation of many oil barrels.
The blaze is costing the province about $1 million a day for 650
firefighters supported by 21 helicopters, nine water bombers, 11
water trucks and 26 bulldozers.
Further north, intense heat was also fuelling a
50-square-kilometre fire in Jasper National Park but the blaze
posed no risk to outlying communities or provincial forests.
Traffic on Highway 16, the main road into the park, continued to
experience delays due to blowing smoke from the fire.
Meanwhile, in Thompson, Man., rainfall and cooler temperatures
brought relief for crews battling a big forest fire 21 kilometres
south of the community.
On Wednesday, 350 firefighters battled the blaze - down from its
peak of 400 - that was sparked by lightning more than two weeks
ago.


(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[FireHairedWoman]

Lost Creek Fire, CNP Alberta

Hi NJFF,
Thank you so much for your update and for keeping the reports coming. I could hardly sleep last night after talking to a sister who lives in Pincher Creek and said the smoke was really bad and the wind was picking up. Also, I was a volly in that area and know it well and the terrain is quite rough and filled with a lot of old growth and dead stuff, not to mention the bears, moose, cougars, elk and other animals I wouldn't want to come face to face with while trying to fight a fire of that size. I know that they are all praying for rain with no lightning strikes that may end up in new flare ups. Thanks again and stay safe.
Tara

[RspctFrmCalgary]

*NJ, I surrender!* I'll just let my poor little thread about the MOUNTAINS BURNING die a peaceful death *sniffle*

Reinforcements arriving from Ont., Maritimes as Alta. fire continues to rage

HILLCREST, Alta. (CP) - Reinforcements from the Maritimes and Ontario were being called in Thursday as firefighters continued to battle the massive wildfire that has consumed a large region in the Crowsnest Pass.

Fire information officer Norm Brownlee said 40 firefighters from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and another 60 from Ontario would help out in other areas while 670 firefighters concentrated on the Lost Creek blaze. "They'll be assisting us on other initial attacks on new fires across the province," Brownlee said. "Right now we have a total of 28 active wildfires across Alberta, with nine of those listed as out of control."

Gusty winds were being predicted for Thursday, but Brownlee said fire breaks that have been cut into the bare earth - along with 130 sprinkler systems placed on area properties - should hold the flames away from the nearby communities.

"The wind direction will push back toward our lines that we have cut . . . with the bulldozers," he said. "We are confident the cat guard we've constructed over the last three or four days will hold, supported by a total of 670 personnel on the site, 21 helicopters, 17 water trucks, 30 dozers and eight air tankers that are hitting those lines.

"The work we have done has been significant. And not only the work we have done, also the work that has been done between Coleman and Blairmore in terms of widening a buffer by clearing trees all around the TransCanada pipeline."

On Wednesday, logging crews created a 60-metre-wide strip of bare earth over a buried natural gas pipeline as an extra measure to stop the flames.

TransCanada Corp. has said the gas lines pose no danger because they're at least 1.5 metres below ground.

About 2,700 residents of the region in the Rocky Mountains were still on alert to evacuate quickly if necessary. The flames were within four kilometres of Blairmore.

The province also increased an area of southwest Alberta that has been closed to non-residents to 2,160 square kilometres. Conservation officers started asking campers, hunters and fishers to be out of the restricted area by noon Friday - the start of Alberta's August long weekend.

Officials feared such recreational users could spark new fires or pose a problem if the area has to be evacuated.

The hot, dry conditions have also prompted bans on camp fires in western Alberta from Jasper National Park to the U.S. border.

More than 100 people from the mining town of Hillcrest have been out of their homes since they were evacuated Sunday, but Brownlee said some have been allowed brief visits back to tend to such matters as watering their horses and livestock.

"We are escorting some people into some of these closure areas - the local residents, people who have business in the area, to essentially take care of business and then leave as quickly as possible," he explained.

"At this point, the risk is just too high to simply have people return."

The blaze has now charred over 137 square kilometres of forest - a growth of about 18 square kilometres in 24 hours.

Crews also continued Thursday to battle a 50-square-kilometre out of control fire in Jasper National park Park. The flames posed no risk to outlying communities or provincial forests.

In British Columbia, 238 fires were being fought by 1,600 firefighters.

Crews were also battling blazes in the Sahtu region of the Northwest Territories, but the threat of the fire reaching the community of Norman Wells has been reduced over the past few days, said Judy McLinton of Resources Wildlife and Economic Development.

The Canadian Press, 2003

07/31/2003 19:24 EST