ATHABASCA – Following a day-long effort to fight a fire that originated near Jackfish Lake, authorities issued an evacuation notice for locals after it jumped Camping Lake.
At 11:21 p.m., May 4, an evacuation notice was sent to everyone residing on Range Road 214 and 215, north of Township Road 674, to the Athabasca River which is roughly 10 kilometres northeast of the Town of Athabasca. Property owners between Jackfish Lake and the river were instructed to prepare for a possible evacuation at the same time.
Residents were instructed to register at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex and as of 2 p.m., May 5, the evacuation order is still in place, and only a single structure, a cabin, has been damaged.
The wildfire originated near Jackfish Lake May 3. Crews continue to work in rotation with teams from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development fighting the fire, as well as the public works department from Athabasca County alongside firefighters from Athabasca, Boyle, and Colinton.
Ground crews are working with CAT vehicles and dozers to build and maintain fireguards ahead and around the fire to help prevent further spread. As of May 5, crews are still fighting hotspots, and two helicopters are dropping buckets onto the fire thought the day.
Those who have been evacuated but haven’t registered are asked to do so at the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) office located at 3598-48th Avenue in Athabasca.
They can also be reached at 780-675-2623 if you have questions or require other supports. Currently, they are not requesting donations.
Police ask public to stay away
Police are also asking the public to stay away from the area between Range Road 212 and 221, off Highway 55, after firefighters and other support crews had problems accessing the area due to the sudden influx of traffic.
Many of the access roads in that area are single lanes, and there isn’t a lot of space to navigate a larger vehicle such as a water truck, fire engine, or bulldozer.
“When we have that amount of Emergency Services assisting in those situations there, we need clear paths to where the incidents are occurring,” said Athabasca RCMP Staff Sgt. Mark Hall. “If people are there, in the way, it puts them at risk, and it puts the first responders at risk as well.”
If people want to stay in the loop, Hall noted the RCMP put out updates on social media. “We regularly send out media releases, which the fire department does as well. If people want to watch they can, it just needs to be a safe distance away from the scene,” he said.
