Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 22/02) - The ice still hasn't broken up in the North but local fire crews have already been called to respond to forest fires in Northern Alberta.

Five CL2-15 waterbombers and a crew of 14 from Buffalo Airways were called in to fight forest fires between Lac la Biche and Fort McMurray on May 18.

"Normally we don't have contractors on standby in the territories until May 25 ... but this is an early response to Alberta fires," said Joe McBryan, owner of Buffalo.

The forest is dry in the Lac la Biche area and winds are very high, resulting in a fire spanning over quite a vast area, said McBryan.

Small fire in NWT

In the NWT, RWED forest management duty officer Dave Hahn said there was one small fire near Fort Simpson.

It was considered a spot fire.

A crew was flown into the site Tuesday.

He said people who go into the bush need to be very careful this time of year.

Although there is moisture in the ground, the surface is very dry and burns easily.

"Until you get the green flush-out of the trees and budding and the grass comes through, everything is cured," he said.

Buffalo crews will remain in Northern Alberta until the fire danger decreases, said McBryan.