Alberta Residents Return to Homes after Wildfire

by Rob Walker | May 20, 2008 at 12:26 pm | 274 views | add comment

Multiple small towns and hamlets were evacuated in northern Alberta over the weekend after wildfires consumed almost 2,000 hectares of land.

Hot weather and dry brush often leads to massive wildfires in Western Canada, my uncle was a forest ranger in New Brunswick for almost 20 years and every year he would head west to fight the fires that would inevitably come.

At least 150 residents of Newbrook and hundreds of familes from other towns returned to their homes on Monday and Tuesday, glad that their homes were saved by the co-ordinated efforts of firefighting crews - and cooler weather.

Evacuated residents of Newbrook, Alta., returned to their homes Monday afternoon as a wildfire that had threatened the hamlet north of Edmonton was held down.
Stephanie Pollard mowed her lawn when she got back. "I'm very glad to be home and that it's pretty well over," she said.

Pollar, who lives on the north end of the hamlet, was among the first people to get the evacuation notice Friday when the massive fire ripped south, through trees and farmland towards the community of about 150 people.

Residents of a tiny Alberta community evacuated because of wildfires were returning home on Monday under the watchful eye of tired crews that continued to attack hot spots and watch for flames to whip up again.
Candace Revega of the County of Thorhild said the hamlet of Newbrook about 110 kilometres north of Edmonton was now completely shielded by a firebreak barrier. Much of the fire was under control.

"They have been given the go-ahead to return home but they are still on standby alert," said Revega, who added that fire crews and volunteers were upbeat but tired after working around the clock since 150 people were evacuated from the area on Friday.