May 18, 2011 Update on wildfires in Slave Lake and other communities Edmonton... (2:30pm) Recovery plans for affected residents, businesses and municipalities are being developed as provincial firefighting efforts continue in the Slave Lake region. Status of wildfires There are presently 87 wildfires in Alberta, 23 of which are out of control. These active wildfires have burned approximately 191,000 hectares of land. In the Lesser Slave Lake area alone, 17 wildfires are burning out of control. wildfire in Slave Lake is out of control and has burned approximately 2,000 hectares wildfire along south shore of Lesser Slave Lake is out of control and has burned 15,000 hectares wildfire 23 km south of Loon Lake is out of control and has burned approximately 30,000 hectares wildfire 15 km southeast of Gift Lake is out of control and approximately 1,800 hectares wildfire 7.5 km northeast of Red Earth Creek is out of control and approximately 5,000 hectares wildfire burning north of Fort McKay is out of control and approximately 5,000 hectares wildfire 27 km south of Kinuso is out of control and approximately 3,000 hectares wildfire 13 km northwest of Cadotte Lake is out of control and approximately 590 hectares wildfire 7 km north of Janvier is out of control and approximately 900 hectares wildfire approximately 5 km south of Chisholm is being held at approximately 516 hectares wildfire in Richardson Backcountry is approximately 110,000 hectares and burning on both sides of the Athabasca River Multiple forest fires north of Fort McMurray required the evacuation of about 2,000 oil workers on Monday. Fire bans are now in place across the province on all land in Alberta. The fire bans include fireworks, are effective immediately and in place until further notice. Exceptions are federal lands where there are no fire control agreements, such as some National Defence lands, First Nations reserves outside of forest protection areas, and urban municipalities: cities, towns, villages and summer villages. Urban municipalities are encouraged to consider fire bans in their jurisdictions. For current fire ban information, visit www.albertafirebans.ca Firefighting efforts Province wide, Alberta has deployed approximately 1,000 firefighters, including 120 who arrived Monday from British Columbia. The province has also deployed 124 helicopters, 20 air tankers and scores of heavy ground-based machines. Approximately 85 firefighters from Ontario and 200 additional firefighters from British Columbia have arrived in Alberta and are preparing to be deployed. Evacuations In addition to the evacuation of Slave Lake, there are mandatory evacuation orders in place for Loon River First Nation, Red Earth Creek, Woodland Cree First Nation and parts of the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River including Wagner, Widewater, Canyon Creek, Assineau, and the Poplar Lane Subdivision east of Slave Lake. Northern Sunrise County has issued evacuation advisories for Little Buffalo and Marten Lake. Evacuation orders are issued locally by municipalities as part of declaring a state of local emergency. The orders may be voluntary or mandatory, and may cover all or part of a municipality. Residents should contact their local municipality for the latest information. The following reception centres continue to be in operation for residents in need of assistance: Westlock Community Hall, 10711-104 Ave. (www.westlock.ca, 780-349-8744) Athabasca Multiplex, #2 University Dr. (780-675-2967) Edmonton Expo Centre, 7515-118 Ave. (www.edmonton.ca, 780-442-5311) Several other communities are operating small reception centres with limited capacity. Reception centre services A variety of services are being offered to evacuees at reception centres in Athabasca, Edmonton and Westlock, including: Meals and snacks Counseling and spiritual support services Children’s play areas and organized recreation activities Clothing, blankets and toiletries distribution Onsite medical assistance Pet centres with veterinary care Computers and internet access Additionally, government staff will be at each site starting today and over the next few days to address medium- to long-term housing needs and other supports. Red Cross is working to address short-term housing needs. Evacuees with alternate accommodations All displaced residents should call the Red Cross Central Registration Inquiry Bureau to register their information at 1-800-565-4483. By registering, loved ones are able to check on the status and location of displaced residents. Road closures Travel in and around Slave Lake continues to be restricted for safety reasons: All access into Slave Lake is closed. Evacuation access out of Slave Lake is available on Highway 2 eastbound Highway 2 is closed west of Slave Lake from Highway 33 to the Town Highway 2 is closed east of Slave Lake to the Misue turnoff Highway 88 is closed north of Slave Lake up to Highway 986, located south of Red Earth Creek Highway 750 is closed from Highway 679 to Highway 88 Wildfire Road Closure Hotline: 780-644-5653 (to call toll-free, first dial 310-0000) Air Quality Due to deteriorating air quality caused by forest fires in northern Alberta, northern residents should take precautions against potential health risks associated with current air conditions. People with respiratory conditions are advised to remain indoors, keep their windows closed and limit outdoor physical activity. People who experience difficulty breathing should consult their physicians. Residents can contact Health Link Alberta to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK (5465). Health Patient Information: Families of patients who have been relocated can call 1-866-301-2668 for information and status updates on patients who have been relocated from the Slave Lake Healthcare Centre. Health Services: Residents looking for locations of nearby health services, including dialysis, should call Health Link Alberta 1-866-408-LINK (5465). Anyone in need of immediate medical attention should go to the nearest health centre. Call Health Link at the same number for nearest centre. If it is an emergency, call 911. Prescriptions and Medication: Residents evacuated from Slave Lake in need of medication or prescription refills can visit any local pharmacy in the community they are located in. Local pharmacists will assess each individual's needs and may dispense medication up to the amount of their last prescription. Anyone requiring narcotics or controlled substances will need to obtain a prescription from a physician. More information is available at www.albertahealthservices.ca/4696.asp. Water advisory for the Town of Slave Lake Due to high utilization and potential disruption of the water treatment and delivery system caused by the wildfire in Slave Lake, residents remaining in the area are advised that the water supply is not potable, and should not be used for any drinking, cooking or bathing/washing purposes. An alternate source of water should be used at this time. Please note that this advisory is in effect until further notice. If further information is required, please contact Health Link Alberta 24 hours a day, seven days a week, toll-free at 1-866-408-LINK (5465). Income Support Displaced residents who are receiving Alberta Works income support or learner benefits by cheque are advised to call the Income Support Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. Arrangements will be made to have payments sent to affected clients. All clients who receive their benefits by direct deposit will have their benefits paid by May 27. Residents receiving benefits from the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program by cheque are advised to call the St. Paul AISH office toll free by dialing 310-0000 then entering 780-614-6413. Lost Identification Evacuees who require Driver’s Licence, Identification Card or Birth Certificate replacement should visit their nearest Registry Agent office. Identification will be replaced within 3 to 4 days. A list of Registry Agents can be found on the Service Alberta website at www.servicealberta.ca or call Alberta Registries at 780-427-7013. Education Residents should contact their local school board to determine what arrangements are being made to support student learning while they are displaced. School authorities are posting information on their websites for affected families. Living Waters Catholic School District Toll free: 1-888-434-7348 High Prairie School Division Toll free: 1-877-523-3337 Northland School Division Toll free: 1-800-362-1360 Families of children who attend a private, charter or First Nations school, should contact the Families of children who attend a private, charter or First Nations school, should contact the school directly or visit the school’s website for more information. Additional information is available on the Education website at www.education.alberta.ca. Contact Numbers: Albertans can call toll-free to 310-4455 to access current information about the wildfire situation such as Red Cross information, highway closures, and websites to visit for more information. Red Cross Central Registration Inquiry Bureau is: 1-800-565-4483. Any family members who are looking for information on where medical patients were moved can call Alberta Health Services at 1-866-301-2668. Information about wildfires in Alberta is available on Facebook at the site ‘Alberta Wildfire Info.’ Status reports are also available at the Sustainable Resource Development website at www.srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/WildfireStatus/Default.aspx. -30- Media inquiries may be directed to: Provincial Operations Centre Communications 780-644-4862 To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000. Alberta Government | Newsroom | Ministries Listing | Sustainable Resource Development Home Page | News Releases | Top of Page | Send us your comments or questions Copyright(©) 2011 Government of Alberta .