Pearl Lorentzen

Lakeside Leader

On July 19, a 41-year-old helicopter pilot, from Whitecourt, died near Haig Lake, AB in a helicopter crash. He was involved in fighting wildfires.

Haig Lake is in Wood Buffalo Cree Nation 60 km north of Cadotte Lake in the Peace River Forest Area, quite near the border with the Slave Lake Forest Area.

PWF090 appears to be the closest wildfire to this area, but he may have been working on another fire.

Peace River RCMP received a call about a missing pilot and helicopter at 6:58 p.m. on July 19, says an RCMP news release. At about 8 p.m., they received the crash site and were flown in by helicopter. The pilot was the only person in the helicopter when it crashed. When the RCMP arrived, forestry workers were doing CPR, but he was declared dead at the Peace River airport. The crash is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

From July 17 to 21, the Slave Lake Forest Area had no new wildfires. On Monday, July 17, the wildfire danger for the Slave Lake Forest Area was low. By Friday, July 21, the danger was moderate in general, but high in the west. The area remained at 122 wildfires. However, the hectares (ha) burnt increased to 428,967.54 ha from 427,721.44 ha (on July 16).

This increase was in SWF116 which was not near any communities.

On July 7, lightning started SWF116 22 km northwest of Chipewyan Lake. From July 16 to 24, it grew 1,247 ha. As of July 24, it was held at 10,670 ha.

Also, far away from communities northeast of this fire a Fort McMurray Forest Area wildfire (MWF039) burned into the Slave Lake Forest Area. It moved south from the Birch Mountain Wildland Provincial Park. Lightning started this fire on June 29. By July 21, it was held at 15,200 ha. It isn’t counted in the Slave Lake fires or hectares burnt.

As of July 24, the Slave Lake area had one out of control wildfire (SWF068), three held, and eight under control.

Lightning started the remaining out of control wildfire SWF068 on May 5 west of Peavine Métis Settlement. The last day of major growth was on Monday, July 10. It is in the Slave Lake and Peace River forest areas. As of July 21, SWF068 remained at 143,039 ha, with a 619 km perimeter.

The rest of the Slave Lake wildfires were held or under control, with neither the status or the size changing in weeks.