Stories of 2010: #1 Fire consumes local RM

Wasylenchuk made it very clear that it was more than the Ministry of Environment fighting the fire.

Jim Miller, chief of Buckland Fire and Rescue, said his crews were working 12-hour days to put out the blaze.

“Everything we had and then we called in, we have a mutual aid agreement with associations in the city, we called the Prince Albert Fire Department and Shellbrook Fire Department and all the water haulers that were available to us,” he said.

“They (Ministry of Environment) are responsible for the forest, the trees, and I guess our jurisdiction is the houses and the yards themselves, so it’s kind of an overlap and work together type thing,” Miller said, explaining the partnership couldn’t have worked out better.

The fire caused nearly 60 homes to be evacuated — the residents were forced to leave for two days.

Jan Malenfant got a call from her husband on the day the fire broke out. He told her to look out her window at work.

She said she came to the house and got concerned while driving up, but when she got there it was only smoky.

According to Malenfant, fire officials told her the wind was blowing the fire in the direction of her house. They did a controlled burn to stop anything from coming too close, but that didn’t stop it.

“What happened was fire, just poof, and it did like a roll, you know how fire rolls. (My husband) said it rolled and went over the house and lit over there,” she said at the time of the fire.

Her house was fine. In fact only one house was destroyed during the three-day blaze – the home where the fire started.

“Considering where the fire was and the potential of it, I think it was the best case scenario of things that could have happened,” Wasylenchuk said.

Miller was also happy with how things went, but is looking into what they can do better.

“They never go as smooth as possible, it’s an ongoing critique after to try and work out some of the bugs and something you could have done better,” he said.

One thing that worked out in favour of Buckland Fire and Rescue is where the fire took place.

“Quite fortunate this fire took place in the Nesbit forest, so the cost that were incurred after everything was after the whole thing was completed and all the reports were in and everything, Sask. Environment looked after the costs of whatever took place,” he said.

While Miller does not have a number for how much it cost in the long run, he said the government covered all of their costs, including hourly wages for the firefighters.

“I think one of the things I should say is that Sask. Environment, for the wild forest fires they are some of the best in the world, they did a really good job at the Nesbit fire,” said Miller.

klavoie@panow.com

Previous stories from 2010's top 10:

Stories of 2010, #10 Relay for Life success

Stories of 2010, #9 Fire Mentor Program cancelled

Stories of 2010, #8 First Nations University nearly closes

Stories of 2010, #7 Emotional rollercoaster around pulp mill

Stories of 2010, #6 Spring brings serious crime

Stories of 2010, #5 Memories of the Olympic torch

Stories of 2010, #4 Wet weather brought farming fright

Stories of 2010, #3 Storm wreaks havoc in the city

Stories of 2010, #2 Attack on a taxi driver

by Kellah Lavoie

Stories of 2010: #1 Fire consumes local RM

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