Probably the 54 year old Glendon woman Audrey Elaine Dunham who admitted to setting 32 fires in the Bonnyville and Lac la Biche area. She was charged with arson and given a nine month jail sentence but served her time with community service and was also given a 18 month probation sentence for the millions of dollars spent putting the fires out.
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Guys we have a very serious Fire situation in Alberta. We had over 1000 fires last year, BC had over 2000. However we burnt twice the area of BC with half the fires. Alberta Forestry did not put most of the fires out when they first started. Problem:
1) We have No more Smoke Jumpers. 2) We have No more Manned Forestry Towers. 3) We have No water Bombers contracted. 4) We rent a few Choppers to drop small buckets of water. We will be okay this year we bought some night googles from Army Surplus store. |
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Come on guys you know it is climate change Right?? .... Phil M :scared0015:
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8ushrat, I agree BC fires are more in mountain terrain, however it is much harder to get access for cats and fly water bombers in the mountains.
The point I am making in Alberta we now let fires "RIP" and they burn for 50 miles instead of tackling them when they are small. |
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It’s a lot more complex than just land mass burnt I would agree BC is more prepared but look at the history of wildfires between the two provinces. BC on average if fighting more wildfires a year than Alberta Trust me as someone who has ran equipment on fires in BC and my family does still when they are near by BC is far from a great example on how they should be handled. There has been many miss managed fires in BC Would it be a good idea for Alberta to be more prepared essentially for this season you bet. But BC has a long history of screwing up and they are just starting to learn from it and become more proactive |
There are still 92 active fires in British Columbia and another 54 in Alberta, holdovers from last year burning underground according to the latest figures from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Others are also active in the Northwest Territories.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/climate/wild...erta-1.7119851 |
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Not a new issue some fires smolder underground for multiple seasons |
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You can't stop a mad Grizzly even if you had 5 pellet guns instead of just one. With a lot of these fires when conditions are right like last year, they would have to be stopped in the first few minutes before they get out of control sometimes almost immediately and there is no stopping them. We simply don't have enough fire fighters even if we increased numbers and equipment 5 fold to hang out on every quarter section in case a fire breaks out to jump on it immediately and extinguish it before it gets away. |
fires
Bushrat, that is what fire towers and Smoke Jumpers are equipped to do. They were strategically placed throughout Alberta with a Chopper to hit them fast and hard. Someone decieded to save a few $$ and let Rocky, Drayton, Edson, Hinton, Whitecourt, Slave Lake, Fox Creek, High level, and Valleyview forest fires burn their communities.
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And in Japan they turn it into a festival. :lol:
https://livejapan.com/en/in-kansai/i...icle-a2000264/ |
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Alberta changed forest fire policy though. Because of 50ish years of suppressing fires they are no longer fighting wildfires until they threaten communities. When these massive fires burn out it will take several decades before they become as volatile. Proper forest management. |
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Friend of mine lives a mile or so from where the fire restarted, had the majority of his 1/4 section burned, lost his barn, a few outbuildings, cars and farm machinery. Local oil service companies responded on their own with water cannons, tank trucks, cats, hoes, etc., saved his and his dads homes. If it wasn't for them he would have lost it all. The entire town full of equipment mobilized to fight fire. Fire officials ordered them to stand down while those same officials stood around on their phone and radios while the fire spread, most provincial crews were fighting fires elsewhere Anyway those locals and their equipment backed off, snuck away and went and saved numerous rural homes in the area surrounding town. I agree we could use better provincial firefighting capabilities and more manpower. When conditions are right and a bunch of big fires start in the same time frame they are spread too thin. My opinion is that there are many companies with equipment, especially in oil towns that could respond and put the damper on many of these fires well before Provincial fire crews can respond, in most cases too late. But they are not allowed. I think the gov't should pay to train employees of these companies, certify their equipment and operators, sanction them as emergency first responder fire fighters, in coordination with provincial fire officials. The fire that burned around Drayton should never have been allowed to cross the first highway, then a second, then jump the N.Saskatchewan river and then jump another major highway. The ball was completely dropped and it wasn't because the fire couldn't be fought, the gov't wouldn't allow locals to fight it. Back in the day fire officials would go to bars, restaurants, anywhere they could find men and equipment to fight fires. Not allowed anymore. |
So did the Drayton fire start in the Forest Protection Area or outside of it? Was it county fire crews responsible for it or Alberta Forestry crews?
Trestle Creek fire started outside of the Forest Protection Area. Alberta Forestry provided mutual aid in the form of air tanker and helicopter support. Alberta Forestry was not the lead agency on the fire, Parkland County was. Will leave it at that. |
Further clarification, Parkland was lead agency from the initial start on Saturday till the fire took off on its big run the following Thursday and entered into the Forest Protection Area.
As for comments on Rap, fire crew response times etc, those in the know, know! |
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The previous originating fire was Brazeau County's responsibility. |
fires
Until we start to take forestry fire fighting seriously in Canada we are in big trouble in our forest communities. We require Federal Government ( Not the fool) Provincial (Still in training) and Counties with Major coordinated investment in equipment like water bombers/cats etc(not shovels for out of country fire fighters to lean on). The investment required is in the $billions.
Equipment could be moved to each province with the highest fire threat as need is recognized. |
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Insult to the fine firefighters out there to say they lean on their shovels. Grab your boots and gloves and go work a fireline with them. Water bombers, air tankers, cats etc can only do so much. No matter how many you have, if Mother Nature is going to burn, she burns. Need people to operate said equipment. Do not see many people lining up to do so. |
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I welcome the non destructive fires, creates better habitat and increases the ungulate population :) |
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We lack the natural fire breaks that once occurred from past fires, replanting carpets of marketable timber vs mixed forest that doesn’t burn as quickly, and yes areas of old growth that with built up debris as well There is a reason parts of northern BC are now running selective logging near towns/cities. Loggers are using a combination of harvesters/forwarders(they have modified processors too) instead of clear cuts with bunchers/skidders removing mature evergreens/beetle kill and leaving mature aspen that contain more moisture. About 25% of the contracts the company my brother works are this style in the last 2 years But it’s way more fun to scream climate change and tax people so the media won’t talk about these issues as much :sHa_sarcasticlol: |
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You’re ranting like someone who’s off their medication. JohninAb and Bushrat have already embarrassed you, with hard facts! |
[/QUOTE]My opinion is that there are many companies with equipment, especially in oil towns that could respond and put the damper on many of these fires well before Provincial fire crews can respond, in most cases too late. But they are not allowed. I think the gov't should pay to train employees of these companies, certify their equipment and operators, sanction them as emergency first responder fire fighters, in coordination with provincial fire officials. The fire that burned around Drayton should never have been allowed to cross the first highway, then a second, then jump the N.Saskatchewan river and then jump another major highway. The ball was completely dropped and it wasn't because the fire couldn't be fought, the gov't wouldn't allow locals to fight it.
Back in the day fire officials would go to bars, restaurants, anywhere they could find men and equipment to fight fires. Not allowed anymore.[/QUOTE] Not all that simple a solution to implement considering insurance liabilities and people who would get involved without adequate training. The only thing they could do in that situation is have them sign a waiver to waive liability. |
My opinion is that there are many companies with equipment, especially in oil towns that could respond and put the damper on many of these fires well before Provincial fire crews can respond, in most cases too late. But they are not allowed. I think the gov't should pay to train employees of these companies, certify their equipment and operators, sanction them as emergency first responder fire fighters, in coordination with provincial fire officials. The fire that burned around Drayton should never have been allowed to cross the first highway, then a second, then jump the N.Saskatchewan river and then jump another major highway. The ball was completely dropped and it wasn't because the fire couldn't be fought, the gov't wouldn't allow locals to fight it.
Back in the day fire officials would go to bars, restaurants, anywhere they could find men and equipment to fight fires. Not allowed anymore.[/QUOTE] Not all that simple a solution to implement considering insurance liabilities and people who would get involved without adequate training. The only thing they could do in that situation is have them sign a waiver to waive liability.[/QUOTE] I don’t know about Alberta but in BC a lot of the loggers take training and assist in fighting forest fires when in their area. I have operated skidder doing this on two different seasons myself and my brother who is a lifer BC logger has many seasons doing so I actually tried to offer assistance when I was evacuated out of Drayton but was snubbed off even with past experience. Alberta should be working with logging and oilfield companies like BC does with its loggers |
Alberta does work with logging and oil companies. A lot of good trained fire personnel available and willing to help and are gladly welcomed onto the fire. A lot of the cat bosses are industry personnel. Others fill roles in supply and logistics. Needless to say, all the heavy equipment operators are industry personnel.
Always training available to get certified for fire duty. Even Alberta Forestry staff have to train and keep their certifications up to date. |
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Or are you talking about guys training and joining the fire department on their own |
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