Parkland County officials say the Beau Rand Estates community avoided injuries and structure losses from a recent wildfire due to planning, pre-positioned resources and a quick response.
Around 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, a wildfire was reported in Parkland County.
The county reports that elevated winds and fire weather indices indicated a high fire potential heading into the weekend, prompting it to proactively place a helicopter on standby and have fire crews at the ready.
Once dispatched, representatives say the helicopter was on scene within 30 minutes to drop water and slow the fire spread while ground crews focused on protecting homes. Other containment efforts included creating a fire guard and support from air tankers.
The fire was contained on May 5 and officials say it is no longer a danger to the public.
Parkland County thanks its fire crews and support staff, as well as mutual aid partners from Stony Plain and Devon, provincial support from Alberta Wildfire, and the teams from Fire and Flood, Delta Aviation and Alexander Forest Services. Representatives say the coordinated response was instrumental in quickly containing the fire.
County crews have already responded to nearly 30 fires this year that had the potential to become serious very quickly.
As a result, the county has issued a fire ban. Acting Fire Chief Robert Malchow said fire bans and restrictions are based on careful monitoring of local conditions and the resources available to respond.
“Parkland County has a large, diverse landscape, and conditions may vary widely depending on where you are. When Parkland County puts fire restrictions or bans in place, those decisions are not made lightly,” he commented. “Help our fire crews by doing your part; please respect the fire ban, have an emergency plan in place, and book a FireSmart home assessment. Prevention is one of the most important tools we have to help keep our communities safe.”
Residents can learn more about wildfire prevention and the FireSmart program here.
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