Homeowners refuse to leave as Alberta brush fire grows
Homeowners refuse to leave as Alberta brush fire grows
17 May 2010
published by www.vancouversun.com
Canada — Wind-whipped flames from a raging brush fire were less than 500 metres from Terrance Turchanskis yard on Sunday but the Alberta man refused to budge despite a mandatory evacuation order.
Well fight til the flames come out of the roof, said Turchanski, who lives about 50 kilometres northeast of Edmonton in Thorhild County.
Turchanski and his neighbours were ordered to evacuate Sunday afternoon.
I see lots of people are taking the cops word and they are leaving but were not, Turchanski said. Were hanging tight until the worse comes to worst.
Turchanski, several relatives and some family friends decided to stay put. The group has its own water trucks ready to fight the blaze. Theres lots of memories and stuff so we want to try and save it, Turchanski said.
The massive brush fire that began Wednesday got much worse Sunday afternoon when strong winds helped the blaze jump a 25-metre wide ditch and grow from 2,200 hectares to 3,000 as evening fell.
Late Sunday afternoon, RCMP officers issued a mandatory evacuation notice to some residents living in specific areas near the fire.
About six homes were evacuated close to where firefighters were trying to hold the fire, said Brydon Ward, a spokesman for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Sundays winds likely caused cinders and sparks to fly and land on flammable material, despite the break around the fire. Firefighters hoped to shrink the blaze, not see it grow, Ward said.
The worst-case scenario happened, Ward said.
More roads about six kilometres north of the firefighters staging camp were closed Sunday afternoon, Ward said.
Firefighters had to pull back because it wasnt safe to be there any longer, he said. A high of about 27 C and low humidity didnt help the situation, he added.
The safety of the firefighters and volunteers was Wards main concern during their fifth day of battling the blaze, he said. Absolutely everybody whos working on the ground has to be very conscious of safety.
As soon as the winds die down and temperatures cool off, firefighters will bulldoze a new fire line, he said. He hopes crews can make the new break by Monday.
The winds are definitely going to be lighter than they were today, said Ward. Thats not great news, but better news.
Across the province, 24 fires were burning as of Sunday evening, said wildfire information officer Geoffrey Driscoll with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
Another major fire near the northwestern community of Valleyview that began Wednesday has now been contained at 720 hectares, said Driscoll.
Seventy-six firefighters and seven helicopters will continue to fight the fire until it is extinguished. The fire did not cause any evacuations, Driscoll said.
