Cabin owner not happy with firefighters
Man says he had to protect cabin with little help from GNWT
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 9, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A cabin owner said he has risked the safety of himself and his family trying to keep his cabin on Consolation Lake, 80 km east of Yellowknife, from being destroyed by a forest fire.
Tanner Gibeault, the 16-year-old son of Gord Gibeault, sprays water on a wild fire that came within 50 metres of his family cabin on Consolation Lake last weekend. - photo courtesy of Gord Gibeault |
Gord Gibeault said he spent a tense weekend at his cabin spraying water on the fire itself as well as on his cabin, a work shed and some nearby trees.
He said he, his girlfriend and his teenage sons also established a line around the two buildings by cutting down several trees.
He said the fire had come to within about 50 metres of the cabin.
Gibeault said he has received very little help from firefighters with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR).
"There were two guys here from ENR late last month and in early July who were helping fight the fire, but they eventually left," he said.
"It seemed like they never really finished the job. There were about five other firefighters here at the time, but they seemed to by fighting the fire where there were no cabins.
"They might as well get rid of the forestry division for all the help they've given me."
He said he has seen water bombers overhead, but has not seen any firefighters on the ground near his cabin since the beginning of the month.
"They dropped water on the fire twice - once from a plane, the other time from a helicopter," he said.
"It seems like they aren't very well organized. I'd say they are suffering from lack of direction and leadership."
He said the fire has been burning since June 16.
Gibeault said neighbouring cabin owners told him they're also frustrated with the lack of response from ENR - at least one of them had fire make its way right to the front steps of their cabin.
Meanwhile, as many as 15 firefighters have been at Plummer's Lodge at Taltheilei Narrows on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake.
Lodge manager Grant Nolan said more than a dozen firefighters from ENR were at the lodge all weekend, making sure the fire didn't reach it.
He said five of the crew were helicoptered out on Monday, but 10 others remained at the lodge as of Tuesday.
"They made a clearcut around the lodge and they've set up sprinklers." said Nolan.
"The lodge remains open and we've seen smoke, but no fire near our property."
Nolan said they have about 25 guest cabins in total.
"We have about 22 guests here at the moment," he said.
"They don't seem to be fazed. They're still catching fish and that's all they really care about."
The GNWT forest fire management policy states the first consideration in allocating fire management resources is the protection on human life.
In an e-mail to Yellowknifer, ENR spokesperson Judy McLinton stated the department has been providing support to cabin owners on Consolation Lake to help them protect their properties for more than two weeks.
She wrote crews started fighting the fire threatening Plummer's Lodge this past weekend.
This is one of the worst seasons for drought conditions and forest fires in the NWT in the past 30 years.
There are 137 fires burning in the territory, the majority of which are in the North Slave and South Slave Regions, stated McLinton. There were 93 fires burning little more than a week ago.
"Explosive fire conditions exceeding ENR's response capabilities are common this season, making it very unlikely ENR can protect all values at risk in the boreal forest," stated McLinton.
Property owners are advised to "fire-smart" their properties and take protective measures.
That includes purchasing pumps, hoses and sprinklers to place around and on structures.
The Ingraham Trail was closed much of this past weekend by the Department of Transportation due to a forest fire burning 11 km east of the highway.
It reopened Sunday afternoon after closing Friday at midnight.
Reid Lake campground was still closed as of press time.
Highway 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence was also closed late last week as smoke billowed over the roadway and fire, at times, reached the edge of the highway.
It has also reopened to traffic.
The good news for fire crews is that rain is in the forecast for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.
