The wildfire that started May 13 and forced the evacuation of families near the Forsyth Lake area, about 15 kilometres northwest of Bonnyville, has been classified as under control for the past week and Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) crews are now tasked with monitoring the area from the air and the ground.
“They're in the area watching for hot spots or any renegade smoke,” said Leslie Lozinski, SRD forest information officer. “They'll be there monitoring for the next few weeks.”
Over 200 firefighters, including 40 local and over 170 with SRD, fought the wildfire, which threatened 12 homes located approximately six kilometres north of Moose Lake and forced the evacuation of families in the area.
Bonnyville Regional Fire Chief Brian McEvoy said because of the location of the fire and the hard work of the firefighters on the ground and in the air, the only structures lost were fence posts.
On May 13, a large plume of smoke rose from the Forsyth Lake area and loomed over the MD of Bonnyville. That evening, waterbombers, helicopters and ground crews fought the fire. The battle went on through the night.
Eventually, a fire guard was constructed by the heavy machinery crews on scene, allowing SRD to hold the fire on May 17.
Rain over the next few weeks provided the conditions crews needed to eventually declare the fire under control.
According to SRD, the fire burnt 757 hectares of forested and marshy area; however, the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Though the fire ban has been lifted, Lozinski encouraged people to continue to be cautious when having a fire, as the chance of wildfires is listed at very high.
“The dry conditions and the warm weather and the humidity are a recipe for wildfires, so we're really asking people to be careful,” said Lozinski. “Just keep an eye out for anything unusual and if you see smoke or fire, call 310-FIRE.”
