Peace River MLA Dan Williams says a lot of coordination went into dealing with the fire that happened in the Shaftesbury area.
As soon as he found out about the fire breaking out, Williams says he was able to help get support from the province.
“I was sitting in the legislature as the fire broke out and I spoke to the minister right away. There was perfect coordination with the relevant municipalities, both the MD of Peace and then those that supported the firefighting efforts. We got the province’s resources there immediately, we staffed up very early this year, we learned a lot of lessons on how we can best organize ourselves as a province.”
Within hours of the fire starting, water bombers, helicopters and more ground crews were brought in to help in dealing with the fire.
The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined yet, but people are being reminded about being extra careful when out and about.
Williams says last year’s fire season saw the majority of fires started accidentally by humans.
“That could be a cigarette butt you’ve flicked, it could be a campfire that wasn’t out, it could be using quadding or off-highway vehicles in the bush. We’re in an incredibly dry season, and that’s true especially in the North where we have so much forest around us and we live and play in the bush. So recognize and be responsible.”
Several municipalities in the region have put in fire bans and restrictions, along with a province-wide restriction in the Forest Protection Area.
You can listen to the full interview with Williams below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
