Slave Lake AB

[old medic]

Serious news starting to come out of Slave Lake AB tonight.
Things appear to have gone bad with the fires outside town.
Should prove to be a significant study in managing fire / wildland fire / evacuations / public emergencies.

Twitter feed:

BREAKING NEWS: Final evacuation order for Slave Lake has been ordered. This includes media.

CTV News crews on scene say northern half of Slave Lake has burned down.

City Hall, library and mall all burning.

 

[old medic]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/slave-lake-alta-residents-landlocked-by-forest-fires/article2022761/

Hundreds of buildings burn down in Slave Lake Alta. forest fires
JOSH WINGROVE
EDMONTON— Globe and Mail Update
Published Sunday, May. 15, 2011 3:06PM EDT
Last updated Monday, May. 16, 2011 12:15AM EDT

After a day of caution over two encroaching wildfires, the winds picked up and brought chaos and destruction to Slave Lake.

Wind gusts that accelerated the advance of fires and grounded water bombers Sunday afternoon allowed the fire to jump two highways. Afterwards, it was free to tear through the Alberta town of 7,000 people. A long list of hundreds of buildings have burned down – including city hall, the police station, the radio station and countless houses.

Meanwhile, flames blocked all but one road, trapping many residents in the town and leaving officials to urge people to simply flee to wide open parking lots or beaches, and hope the fire doesn’t reach them. Traffic along the one highway was slow, as residents navigated through thick smoke amid waning daylight Sunday evening.

The town was also in the middle of a communications meltdown. Cell phone service was spotty at best, the power kept going out, and the local radio station, which had been broadcasting emergency updates, lost its signal to a power outage long before it burned down.

“I tell you the situation there is critical. It’s very critical. We’re doing everything we can,” said Mel Knight, Alberta’s Minister of Sustainable Resource Development, who oversees forest fire response.
.............................

The Canadian Press

SLAVE LAKE, Alta. — Thousands of people are fleeing their homes in a northern Alberta town where an out-of-control wildfire has burned down many homes.

The Town of Slave Lake is urging the community of about 7,000 people to protect themselves by heading for parking lots, beaches or large, green open spaces.

RCMP spokeswoman Doris Stapleton says the town is on fire and many homes have been burned down.

She says no injuries have been reported.

Stapleton says an evacuation is underway and the RCMP have called in all available resources to assist in getting people out.

The town had declared a state of local emergency earlier on Sunday and was taking in evacuees from surrounding communities.

Slave Lake is located about 200 kilometres north of Edmonton.

 

[Scott]

I recall the same thing happening in Chisholm, near Slave Lake. Ten penny fire erupts into conflagration and razes the town. And I was a little closer at hand in BC, 2003. When it comes to fire and winds, you never, EVER, know.

 

[old medic]

Scores of city firefighters head to Slave Lake
DAVE DORMER Calgary Sun
http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/05/16/scores-of-city-firefighters-head-to-slave-lake

About 130 Calgary firefighters were deployed to help battle the raging wildfire that has decimated roughly a third of Slave Lake.
Sent in three waves, the first saw 30 members of Canada Task Force 2 — one of five heavy urban search and rescue squads spread across the country — leave at 3:30 a.m. Monday to help evacuate the Slave Lake hospital.
Hours later, 100 firefighters were sent in two groups of 50, with the first driving nine fire trucks north and the second sent on buses.
Expected to be there between four and six days, the firefighters will work in two shifts of 12 hours each to try and protect Slave Lake from further damage.
“They will be structural firefighting in the town,” said Deputy Chief Ken Uzeloc.
“Trying to extinguish the fires that are burning in the town and protect the area of the city that are not affected.”..........

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/Edmonton+helps+respond+Slave+Lake+wildfires+Emergency/4791962/story.html

The City of Edmonton and partner agencies have opened a reception centre for evacuees of the Town of Slave Lake and area, and Edmonton’s Fire Rescue Services is providing personnel and equipment to help the Province combat wildfires in Northern Alberta...............

This is an incredibly tragic circumstance and we want to do all we can to assist our neighbours to the north," said Mayor Stephen Mandel. "I'm very proud of the City employees who have answered the call to help, and we know Edmontonians will rally to help people should that be needed as well."

The City has also sent 55 fire personnel and four fire trucks to the Slave Lake area to help tackle the fires.

“Firefighters safety is our number one priority. In the coming hours and days we will ensure our crews have the resources they need to provide an effective and safe response to this situation” said Deputy Fire Chief John Lamb. “Fire fighters know how devastating it is to lose a home, and today our thoughts are with the citizens of Slave Lake.”

In Edmonton, the City will provide an update on local fire conditions later today...........