Wildfire Preparedness

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CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON WILDFIRES FOR WABASCA AREA

 

Due to hot and dry conditions, fire advisories, restrictions or bans have been issued in many regions of the province. Be prepared and take precautions.

Make sure to check out our guides page for more information for getting your self and or your family prepared for an emergency. 

Wildfire Information

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Wildfire prevention is a responsibility we all share and it is important to understand safe fire practices so that everyone can enjoy Alberta’s forests.

Wildfire is not an individual agency’s concern – it is a community concern that requires everyone to become involved in solutions.

Everyone’s involvement ensures that wildfire does not needlessly threaten our environment. To accomplish this, individuals need to be aware of the dangers of wildfire to themselves and their community

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON WILDFIRES FOR WABASCA AREA

Remember to report any signs of smoke or fire to 310-FIRE

History of the Wabasca Fire Department

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In June of 1977, the Wabasca Volunteer Fire Department was officially registered under the Ministerial Act of the Municipal Affairs Department. Servicing the then Wabasca-Desmarais and the area, the Department was headed by Bruce Rathbone as the Fire Chief and Ed Coswan as Assistant Fire Chief. In June 1979, ten volunteers from the Wabasca Fire Department underwent fire training provided by the then Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.

In November 1979, two fire incidents destroyed the Mistassiniy School and the new health clinic in Desmarais. The cause was determined to be arson in both cases. These events brought to light the importance of a well equipped and fully trained fire department, and highlighted the deficiencies in community’s water supply. Over the years the fire department slowly acquired financial assistance, equipment and trucks.

The Wabasca Fire Hall had many homes, including the transportation yard at the local Municipal District Office. The four apparatus currently in use – two pump trucks, one rescue truck, and one water tender – were acquired from Rocky Mountain Phoenix Inc starting in 2009. In 2010, the new Bruce Rathbone Fire Hall at 2135 Airport Road was completed.

Today, the department consists of a core team of dedicated firefighters and dispatchers.

Tips for Wildfire preparedness

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Every year, over 100,000 forest fires burn across North America and research shows that this figure is rising. Recent wildfires in BC, Alberta and California have destroyed over 15,000 homes combined, not to mention cost hundreds of lives. Wildfires can travel up to 23 kph and consume everything in their path.

 

So, what can you do to protect your home and your loved ones?

Continue reading →

Spring Fire Season Has Begun

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Howdy, another spring fire season has begun for our community. Just a reminder to all the folks out there.

PLEASE CUT YOUR GRASS 

PLEASE DON’T ATTEMPT TO BURN IT WITH EVERYTHING AS DRY AS A BONE ITS MORE THAN LIKELY TO GET OUT OF CONTROL.

If you still want to burn, you will need a fire permit available from Agriculture and Forestry. Anyone causing an unnecessary fire can be billed by the fire department.

Test your home smoke detectors!

Rookie intake, November 20th 2018

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Rookie intake, November 20th 2018 starts 7:30pm  @ Bruce Rathbone Fire Hall

The Wabasca Fire Department is looking for new firefighters to join the team!  If you are courageous, dedicated, and aren’t afraid of hard work, come down to the Bruce Rathbone Fire Hall to begin practice! On November 20th at 7:30 p.m. We’re asking anyone who would like to give back to their community in an exciting and fulfilling way.

We hope to see you there!

Fire Hall Located at 2135 Airport Rd. North, Wabasca-Desmarais, AB

VX Training

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This past weekend, Wabasca Fire Department held a vehicle extrication training session. We started the day off in the classroom, reviewing scene safety and some basic vehicle extrication techniques. We then moved onto practical training. We started with different techniques of stabilizing a vehicle. We made cribs, a chain basket, and used Rescue 42 struts.

This crib basket is not totally secure, as the slope in the trunk could cause the chain to slip.

Demonstration of the Rescue 42 struts

We then moved onto use of hand tools. We practiced breaking glass, puncturing tires, and cutting windshields out. We used a sawzall to cut apart a vehicle, showing we don’t necessarily have to use the larger, heavier tools to be able to perform an extrication.

The sawzall blade can get quite hot, spraying it with water helps cool it and any sparks down

We then got to my favourite part, using the cutters and spreaders. We worked on popping door hinges, cutting the various posts, removing roofs, pushing the dash, and removing trunk doors. Spreaders, or “The Jaws of Life”, have enough strength to pop door hinges and nader pins

Cutters are another useful tool

These are the same spreaders with different tips. We used these tips to perform a dash push, which is where the dash gets moved away from the patient to make more room to pull them out.

All in all it was a fun and educational day! Lots of folks popped in to see what we were doing.

Fire Season

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It’s that time of year again, folks! Fire season started on March 1st. How does that affect you?

For the folks living in Alberta’s Forest Protection Area (of which all of the M.D. of Opportunity No. 17 is part of!) this means they have to apply for a fire permit for all outdoor fires (excluding campfires) until October 31st. They are free and are an important tool in keeping our communities safe. They let the wildfire detection staff know where authorized fires are planned, which means you won’t have firefighters knocking on your door, or a plane looking to drop fire retardant over your fire. It also gives the wildfire staff the ability to notify you if the risk for a wildfire is too great to have your own outdoor fire. Did you know, just about half of the wildfires started in Alberta each year are caused by humans?

Don’t forget to go check your winter burns. A fire left smouldering can burn under the snow all winter and reemerge when it melts, starting a wildfire. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry recommends you use a metal rod to probe the ash pile, and if it’s hot to the touch, the fire is still burning. To extinguish it soak the pile with water and stir it up. Keep doing this until the ash is cool to the touch.

You can contact the local Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Office at 780-891-3860 to obtain your free fire permit today.

“Remember, if you’re found responsible for starting a wildfire, or if you burn without a permit, you may be charged under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act!