CRISIS & RECOVERY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS FACTS & FIGURES
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS | FACTS & FIGURES
- The heat from the fires was so intense that cast aluminum wheel rims puddled underneath vehicles, fireproof safes burst open, and superheated moisture caused concrete basement foundations to explode.
- By midafternoon on May 15, the sun was completely blocked out by smoke and is not seen again until the following morning.
- The Lesser Slave river wildfires escalated quickly to a level four emergency – the highest possible designation for an environmental disaster.
- At the height of the disaster, there were over 1,500 firefighters, 100 helicopters, 20 air tankers and a fleet of heavy machinery fighting the blaze.
- To restore order and refocus efforts, Tom Sampson, Deputy Chief of CEMA, declares Slave Lake a dry town for the duration of the crisis.
- Though there were no casualties as a direct result of the fires, pilot Jean-Luc Deba tragically lost his life when his helicopter crashed while retrieving water from Slave Lake.
- Additional labour and resource costs incurred during the disaster exceeded $20 million.
- The total anticipated cost of the disaster from insurance claims alone hovers around $700 million.
- 56 homes were destroyed in the MD of Lesser Slave River and an additional 56 structures were heavily damaged.
- In total, more than 400 homes in the region were destroyed, including six apartment complexes.
- 732 families were displaced by the disaster.
THE SECOND WAVE
Just as momentum was gathering on recovery from the wildfires, a second disaster struck. Days of heavy rainfall led to severe flooding in the area, adding to the workload and compounding the frustration of residents.
EMERGENCY OPS
CEMA, led by Deputy Chief Tom Sampson, was one of the outside agencies responsible for helping Lesser Slave River region deal with post-crisis recovery efforts. Sampson shares his insights in a series of video segments.
PORTRAITS OF LOSS
In today's digital world, the fire and its aftermath were instantly and prolifically captured by local residents, visiting news agencies and first responders alike. These images and videos are some of the most compelling.
FIRE WEATHER INDEX
CRISIS PRESENTATION
View an immersive presentation on the spring 2011 wildfires.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Listen to the personal accounts of those who weathered the fires.
Angeline, Safety Coordinator
Kelly, Human Resource Coordinator
Vanessa, Animal Rescue Worker
INTERACTIVE MAP
Discover where the wildfires began and how they spread
