Lessons Learned

4`1 Lesser Slave Lake Regional Urban Interface Wildfire – Lessons Learned Final Report November 6, 2012 kpmg.ca 1 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary ............................................................ 1 2. Introduction | Project Approach ........................................ 26 3. The Lesser Slave Lake Regional Wildfires Story .............. 29 4. Background ....................................................................... 41 5. Findings ............................................................................. 53 6. Lessons Learned ............................................................. 137 7. Recommendations .......................................................... 151 Appendix A: Glossary of Terms ........................................... 176 Appendix B: Project Methodology ....................................... 181 Appendix C: Key Stakeholders ............................................. 190 Appendix D: “How to” Manual ............................................ 198 2 1. Executive Summary The wildfires that threatened the Lesser Slave Lake region in May of 2011 resulted in the largest disaster in the history of Alberta. Never have so many people been evacuated, or so much property been lost. Never has there been a rebuilding job like the one faced in the aftermath of the wildfires – roughly a quarter of the Town of Slave Lake was destroyed along with a large number of structures in the adjoining Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No.124. The Lesser Slave Governments, citizens, first responders and groups across the province came Lake Regional Wildfires saw together in a heroic and unprecedented way to help fight the wildfires, support almost 15,000 residents and help the affected communities to rebuild and recover. people evacuated from the region When an event unlike any seen before occurs, there are always lessons to be for more than two weeks. learned. The Government of Alberta, through Alberta Municipal Affairs, commissioned this study to examine what happened and what insights can be The Slave Lake Town Hall gained from the experience of the wildfires and their aftermath. This review is burned, along not about blame and liability. It is about taking this rare opportunity to learn with 730 homes, a number of local from the ways that this incredible event inspired Albertans to collaborate, even businesses and as it stretched our ability to respond. It is about ensuring that this experience community infrastructure. leaves the province stronger and better prepared for future disasters. The Insurance This report brings together input from a great many of those people who were Bureau of affected by the wildfires or involved in the events from May 14th to August Canada has nd reported that this 22 , 2011. It considers how the plans, standards and protocols that existed at was the second the time helped shape the actions taken. costliest disaster in Canadian The findings of this review suggest that Alberta has a strong foundation for history for the insurance effective emergency management, and in many ways Alberta’s response to industry, the Lesser Slave Lake disaster met or exceeded standards and leading estimated at over practices from around the globe. At the same time, the scale of the Lesser $700 million. Slave Lake disaster was unprecedented in Alberta’s history. When reading this report it is important to remember that whenever a system is tested against extreme circumstances, there are always innovative practices to be captured for the future and lessons to be learned. 1 This review identifies the successes and the learnings from all those that were involved in the response and the recovery efforts. In total, nineteen recommendations are made based on the findings of this review and informed by input and advice from international subject matter advisors and a review of leading practices. Although the scope of the review was limited to the Lesser Slave Lake disaster, the recommendations are intended to inform broader systemic opportunities for enhancing emergency preparedness, response and recovery. These recommendations suggest actions to be led or undertaken by the Government of Alberta, with the acknowledgement that there are many people and organizations that have a role and a stake in emergency management across the province. Finally, this report gives voice and recognition to the personal and professional experiences of those affected by the Lesser Slave Lake regional disaster. The Story What follows is a recollection of the experience of the wildfires and their aftermath. Understanding the story from the perspective of residents and those involved is essential to making sense of what happened and what can be learned. One day. High winds. Out of control wildfires. That’s all it took for a disaster to unfold unlike anything seen before in Alberta. On the morning of May 14th, 2011, a widespread evacuation from the Lesser Slave Lake region seemed unthinkable. Notwithstanding the hot, dry weather of the previous days, there was no grave concern about the wildfires in the region. For people living in this region, seeing smoke on the horizon was not uncommon. But circumstances changed very quickly, and by Sunday night thousands of people were fleeing their homes, driving out through flames and smoke so thick that at times they couldn’t see anything in front of them. 2 Hundreds of homes burned as residents were evacuated from the Town of Slave Lake (the Town), the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No.124 (the Municipal District), and Sawridge First Nation (the First Nation). In the aftermath, Albertans stood shoulder to shoulder to help affected residents, families, and communities to cope with the experience, and to recover. A Weekend to Remember: May 14th – 15th, 2011 On Saturday May 14th, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency was monitoring a number of wildfires across the province. Early in the day, several As winds gusted to of them looked to be a bigger threat than any of the fires in the Lesser Slave more than 100 kilometers per Lake region. hour, the wildfires advanced toward Before the day was out, though, two more wildfires started in the region, and communities in the both the Town and the Municipal District had declared states of local region with incredible speed. emergency and activated their respective Emergency Operations Centres. By The situation early Sunday, as the two wildfires were burning out of control, a highly changed very unusual combination of weather and circumstances began to emerge that quickly. would result in a disaster that could not be prevented by the best efforts of all One young person from the Town those involved. didn’t even know there was a fire On Sunday morning, the Municipal District evacuated many of its residents burning nearby and moved its Emergency Operations Centre into the Town for safety until she saw reasons. As the threat to the region grew, provincial personnel began people running. preparing to lend a hand to local communities, but there was no expectation Elsewhere, a mother described that the fires would threaten the Town itself until the winds picked up on how she was Sunday afternoon, gusting over 100 kilometres per hour. Everyone was bathing her baby when the flames caught off guard by how fast the fires advanced with this wind behind them. arrived and she had to simply grab her children and throw them in the car. 3 By the time it became clear that the wildfires were an imminent threat to the Town, there was little warning or time to prepare. The extreme winds and raging wildfires created a firestorm that made it very difficult to get people out of danger. Highways into and out of the region were closed due to smoke. High winds made it impossible for aircraft to safely operate in the area, and aircraft that were being used to fight the wildfires were grounded. Basic infrastructure began to fail; water pressure and electricity were offline, and telephone service became unreliable as buildings were consumed. Structural firefighting crews found themselves without adequate water and began loading trucks from the river to compensate. It was difficult to even stay standing at times in such powerful wind, let alone to suppress the flames. Meanwhile, people in the Town had been going about their daily lives, getting ready for the upcoming week of work and school. Many had little or no warning that the wildfires could spread to the Town. Almost all sources of information available to the public said to stay calm. For a number of residents, the decision to evacuate became clear when they could see the flames coming. People fled their homes to escape the fires, scrambling to get their children, pets and whatever possessions they had time to grab into their cars. Leaving the Town was no simple matter, however. There were very few access points in and out of the Town, or in and out of neighbourhoods within the Town. Gas stations were no longer operational. In addition, roadblocks that were erected to protect drivers from the smoke and fires also prevented many from using their first choice of route. Locked in bumper to bumper traffic, residents nevertheless recall that there was a certain sense of order to the evacuation as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) kept everyone moving and people would let cars join the flow of traffic in front of them. At the same time, others recalled harrowing experiences like driving through smoke so thick they could barely see the license plate in front of them, or feeling so much heat they feared their windows would crack. 4 Once people had evacuated from their homes, it wasn’t always clear where they should go. Many people gathered at safe spaces, such as the local Walmart parking lot, where they anxiously waited for news and direction. When the word of an official evacuation reached them, these individuals joined other residents heading out of Town. People sought out hotels, family members, friends, and even businesses in surrounding areas for shelter that Reception centres first night. were quickly assembled, but The extraordinary efforts of everyone involved prevented the fires from many of those displaced found claiming any lives as people fled the Town and the region.

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