Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) firefighters continue to work this weekend to extinguish hot spots to ensure the fire north of Highway 660 stays under control.
The department posted on its social media Friday (May 9) that "crews are pushing hard on ground fires and hotspots. Reinforcements have arrived from Alberta Ag & Forestry to help us with those hard to reach areas. Helicopter operations have begun to help boost our power with extra water (lots of water)."
Hamel’s Meat Market in Bonnyville got a shout-out from the BRFA "for fueling our crew with a delicious hot lunch and beef jerky snacks! It’s tough work out there, these firefighters need all the energy they can get!"
The (BRFA) reported on May 8 that the brush fire on Highway 660 and Range Road 465 had been downgraded to being under control.
"Matting has been placed to allow vehicles and equipment to access the core of the brush where muskeg-like terrain hinders operations. The northeast corner was excavated, removing much of the peatmoss and roots burning underground," according to a media release.
"Sprinklers are being installed and will spray water continuously in strategic locations. The M.D. of Bonnyville supplied a large water tank to feed the sprinklers. Work continues on cleanup and site remediation. Dry and windy conditions continue to be monitored in anticipation of changing fire conditions."
Later that day, BRFA expressed its thanks on social media for the community support it was receiving for its efforts.
"Many local businesses and members of the public have stepped up to support our efforts. Special thanks to Express Pizza, Lakeland Grill, Burger Baron, Fifty-Eleven, Subway, Chopped Leaf, Goose Mechanical, Ditch Towing, 54 North, Co-op Fuels, and many others for taking care of our urgent needs and our urgent requests."
