LAC LA BICHE – It isn’t every day that people can enjoy a free community barbecue and watch a parade while learning how to protect their homes and properties from wildfires.
This is what transpired on June 28 as a large group of people turned out in Mystic Beach for an event promoting the FireSmart program. The Mystic Beach residential subdivision is located about 20 kilometres from the hamlet of Lac La Biche.
The parade got underway near noon, with many of the participants, along with those watching along the route, showing their patriotic pride by waving Canadian flags and wearing red and white.
The crowd received free hot dogs and hamburgers while checking out the booths set up for the event. Representatives of Lac La Biche County Fire Rescue Services, Alberta FireSmart, and Alberta Wildfire were on hand to speak with members of the public about the FireSmart program and get them to sign up.
Through this initiative, fire officials conduct free home assessments and free wood chipping services for residents of the municipality wanting to reduce the risk of wildfire on their properties.
Door prizes including t-shirts were given out, and those who signed up to have FireSmart Assessments done on their properties also had the chance to win a wildfire protection kit and a chainsaw.
John Kokotilo, the regional fire chief for Lac La Biche County, said the fire department usually hosts one or two events throughout the year in different neighbourhoods of the municipality to promote the FireSmart program.
These events, he said, help to bring the community together while providing valuable information about measures to safeguard homes against fires.
“Hopefully they get assessments and initiate parts of our practices. The more that are inclined to do this, the greater chance of saving the community in the case of a wildfire event,” Kokotilo told Lakeland This Week, adding that more properties will be protected.
The annual FireSmart barbecues are a means of getting more folks from the Lac La Biche area interested in the program and wanting to sign up.
An event that took place in the Bayview Beach area of the County last year, drew upwards of 120 people, with about 40 assessments done during that day.
“And now, that community is that much safer, because they’ve all taken advantage of the program, cleaned up their yards, had us chip stuff for them,” the regional fire chief explained. “It’s a good thing.”
