On June 29, 2021 just after 3 a.m. fire crews from High Level and Fort Vermillion were called out to the West Fraser log yard as it caught fire. It is believed the fire was started by lightning from a thunderstorm early that morning.
By the evening of June 29, the fire was still very active. Relief crews from Peace River and Slave Lake had arrived as well as a number of contractors with specialized equipment to assist. The contractors include off road water trucks and a large volume water contractor that will be able to saturate the area with large water cannons. Alberta Wildfire is working on-scene alongside fire crews and providing air tanker support. Fire crews are also working with West Fraser to remove untouched materials to control the spread of the fire.
Overnight in June 30, fire crews built a fire break so there would be no more spread to other parts of the log yard. Crews have been protecting the fire break with lots of water to ensure it doesn’t spread. The High Level Fire Department is being supported by fire departments in Fort Vermillion and La Crete along with Peace River and Slave Lake relief crews.
High Level’s Fire Chief, Rodney Schmidt said crews overnight made good progress on building a fire break between the unburnt logs and unaffected logs in the yard. “The weather is providing a challenge with the heat, our firefighters are trying to hold the line on the fire break, but the extremely hot temperatures is a big challenge on the crew.” Schmidt says the log yard is essentially a horizontal forest and they are expecting challenging fire activity with the warm weather.
The temperature outside is expected to reach over 30 degrees Wednesday (June 30) in High Level. Schmidt says with the blaze from the fire and the sun beating down, it takes a toll on crew members. “We are trying to cool our crews down in air conditioned vehicles to cool everybody down when we can.” Schmidt says the weather is a big factor in holding the fire Wednesday, but lots of equipment and contractors are on-site helping fire crews.
The fire poses no threat to the public or the town of High Level and crews efforts so far have contained the flames exactly where it started.
Photo courtesy Town of High Level
Photo courtesy Town of High Level
Photo courtesy Town of High Level
**stay tuned for more updates**
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom
