'My job is to be measured, careful and responsive'
Environment minister says there is no reason to panic
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 18, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) said he wants residents to understand there is no reason to panic about what has become the worst forest fire season in the last three decades.
Michael Miltenberger maintains forest fires pose no risk to Yellowknife. |
Michael Miltenberger said he's confident the best possible people are working to keep fires from threatening people's safety, property and interests.
"I'm well aware that there's lots of chatter out there, both on social media and elsewhere about the fire threat. My job is to be measured, careful and responsive when it comes to communication about the forest fire situation," said Miltenberger.
"We have a mission and we have to stay focused on that task at hand. I wake up every morning, thinking about fire, safety, water, rain and smoke and I imagine many ENR employees do the same."
Miltenberger maintains that Yellowknife is not currently at risk.
"We have extensive resources available to keep fires from reaching the capital city," Miltenberger said.
"We are aware that there are fires around the city, near Reid Lake and Behchoko for instance, but they are not currently a threat."
The environment minister said the Territorial Emergency Response Committee, which includes staff from ENR, has been meeting on a regular basis to make sure all NWT communities - not just Yellowknife - have a strong emergency preparedness plan in place in case fires do threaten homes, businesses and people.
Combating and containing the forest fires continues to cost the territorial government approximately $1 million per day, said Miltenberger.
"We borrow the money from the bank. We have a firefighting budget, but obviously it was not enough," he said. "We find the financing now to combat the fires and pay our bills. We'll work to find the money within our system, likely in the fall, once the fire season calms down."
According to the 2014-15 territorial budget, the price of fighting NWT forest fires has been steadily increasing in recent years.
In 2012-13, ENR spent $17.2 million on fire suppression. In 2013-14, the department originally budgeted $7.5 million but that cost ballooned to an estimated $21.4 million in actual spending.
In this year's approved budget, just $7.49 million was earmarked for ENR fire suppression. At the current rate, that amount would be spent in a little more than a week.
Miltenberger said all MLAs are aware of the cost of fighting the fires, and that they realize the money has to be paid in order to protect the territory.
"I'm also the finance minister, as you know, so I'm pretty up on how these money issues work," he said.
Without firefighting personnel and equipment from several other provinces and Alaska, the territory would be in dire straights, said Miltenberger.
"We have an agreement called the MARS (Mutual Aid Resources Sharing) agreement that allows us
to lean on jurisdictions outside the NWT for help. It's been in place for decades," he said.
"It provides some standards. It means firefighters have had roughly the same level of training, their practices mesh with ours. It means the hoses they bring with them from other provinces will couple up properly with our hoses and pumps.
"We still have to pay these folks for their help, but the MARS agreement is what makes it simple for firefighters from elsewhere to properly help."
Miltenberger said expects some of the B.C. and Alberta crews will be called home soon to help battle forest fires in their own provinces.
He pointed to the situation in Kakisa in the South Slave Region earlier this summer as an example of how well the system is working.
"The skill, determination and expertise of the crews was on full display. They diverted the fire and protected the community. That's how these battle-tested crews operate. They are very good," said Miltenberger.
ENR has issued an all-hands-on-deck memo, asking all GNWT employees with experience fighting forest fires to come forward. It also asks all departments to help with equipment.
"For instance, if the Department of Transportation had heavy equipment that's not in use that we could use, then we are asking to use it," said Miltenberger.
He said he doesn't recall any similar territory-wide requests for help within the government.
Meanwhile, Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley agrees with Miltenberger that the territory is doing a good job of fighting the forest fires.
"It's a huge challenge, but I know that the crews are experienced and know what they are doing. I do have some concerns about the aging water bomber fleet, but we'll address that at some point down the road," said Bromley.
"My bigger concern is with climate change. The heat and the lack of precipitation are a direct result of climate change and that's what we, as a government, have to start considering, particularly when we are budgeting for forest fire fighting."
