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Firefighter recounts ‘scary’ Hi Rock wildfire at Sandy Bay

May 22, 2018 | 5:00 PM

A volunteer firefighter at Sandy Bay said a wildfire got very close to the northern community on Monday.

Daniel McDonald was among those who responded first after the flames burst into life in the late afternoon of May 21.

“It was a scary sight, the way the flames just went up straight away and spread,” McDonald told paNOW. “It was so close to town, and less than a kilometre from the health centre and some of the residential areas.”

A video he provided paNOW shows huge flames exploding in the forest immediately behind the buildings.

 

 

McDonald said it was amazing to see the community respond collectively to address the threat.

“We just took action and went right in,” he said. “We had ground men, we had youth and even kids as young as thirteen helping out,” he said. “We then received aerial support from Pelican Narrows with helicopters and water bombers, La Ronge crews came down, and then the provincial planes with the retardant came in.”

McDonald said the fire was under control within about two hours, but the firefighters kept watch throughout Monday night to ensure it did not flare back up.

Wildfire Management officials said the sudden blaze, which they labelled the ‘Hi Rock’ fire, was of some concern to the community initially, but as of Tuesday morning there was containment around it on three sides and extra attention had been given to the side bordering the community.

 

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow