May 13, 2010
Late last night the fire was considered to be under control. Today the wind shifted just enough to send the fire into stands of spruce and pine that had previously been spared.
The County of Thorhild declared a state of emergency and now our brave firefighters continue to work with very little rest. Today's Edmonton Sun reported that OHV intrusions into this area have long been a problem. A local resident was quoted as saying that signs restricting access had been torn down or ignored.
Meanwhile, local ranchers that lease large portions of this area are looking at replacing long sections of fence before they can turn their stock out to graze. That is assuming that we get enough moisture to bring the grass back.
To varying degrees, this type of destruction is taking place all over this province. While millions of dollars are being thrown at containing or repairing the damage, little or no effort is spent on correcting the problem (irresponsible recreation). There are solutions. Other jurisdictions, some right here in Canada, have successfully eliminated the problems that this issue creates.
This wildfire is not the first. It is just the latest in a string that have occurred, some right here in Sturgeon, Thorhild and Westlock. For me, this one will be hard to let go of. It affects my friends and neighbours. As I send this email, one of my friends is in danger of losing (or has already lost) his home. There are others.
To the dozens of people that responded to yesterday's email and offered support, thank you. Please, double your effort to let people know of this tragic assault on our open spaces. As soon as I am allowed into the sites I will report on the damage in greater detail.
If you don't care about any of this, let me know and I will take you off of the email list.
Thank you.
Richard
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