The Prince George Firehawks are one of six wildfire unit crews heading to Slave Lake, Alta. to battle the devastating fire which has ravaged that community.
On Monday B.C. Forest Minister Steve Thompson pledged to send six 20-person unit crews, six strike team leaders and three agency representitives to the embattled region. On Sunday night high winds drove wildfires into the northern Alberta town, forcing approximately 7,000 people to flee their homes.
Local officials have estimated a third of the homes and buildings in the town have been damaged or destroyed, and the fire is still not under control.
"We are just waiting now for the final direction from Alberta for the best location for those people," Thompson said Monday morning. "They clearly have an evolving situation there."
By Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch confirmed the Prince George Firehawks were deploying to Alberta that day.
In addition to the 129 firefighters from B.C., 80 firefighters from Ontario were heading to Alberta to help control the blaze.
Thompson said B.C. has committed a total of $63 million to reducing the risk to communities from wildfires. The money, offered in the form of grants through the Union of B.C. Municipalities, has been provided to treat forested areas to reduce the fire risk.
The grants have been used by 230 communities throughout B.C. - including Prince George - to treat 43,000 hectares of forest land, Thompson said
The B.C. Wildfire Management Branch will be watching the situation unfold in Alberta to learn any lessons they can about managing interface fires, he added.
"The other lesson is for the public, in complying with fire bans when they're in place," Thompson said.
Although B.C. has had a cool, wet spring residents are urged to always use caution when visiting the province's forests, he said.
Becky Row, Red Cross regional manager for northern B.C. and the Yukon, said the Red Cross is taking donations to support relief efforts in Slave Lake and the surrounding communities.
The Red Cross has established a reception centre in Westlock, Alta. where many of the people fleeing the fire in Slave Lake have gone, she said. The centre is providing support for Slave Lake residents, and is acting as a registration centre for displaced residents.
"If a person in B.C. is trying to find a family member, they can call our 1-800 number," Row said.
If the person has checked in at the reception centre, the Red Cross will be able to provide family with information about their status, she said. The phone number to call for information about missing loved ones is 1-800-565-4483.
Donations to the Red Cross relief efforts can be made by calling 1-800-418-1111, going online to www.redcross.ca or at the Red Cross office at 1399 Sixth Ave.
"[And] if people are thinking of doing a community event to support the initiative, we'd like them to come into the office before the event," she said. "We'll have them sign off on a community fundraising agreement. That way if anyone calls as asks if they're legitimate, we can say 'yes, we know about them.'"
- With files from the Canadian Press
