Over hundred forest fires across northwestern Ontario is affecting remote First Nations
Forest Fire from Musselwhite Mine airstrip - July 19, 2011
Forest Fire from Sandy Lake First Nation as full evacution ordered - July 19, 2011
Visit http://sandylake.firstnation.ca for more updates
First Nation chief stays behind as community flees forest fire
July 23, 2011 - Tanya Talaga
THUNDER BAY, ONT.—A steady stream of 20 Hercules flights have evacuated 2,800 people from Sandy Lake First Nation but Chief Adam Fiddler refuses to leave.
A relentless forest fire has crept within 9 kilometres of Sandy Lake, a community more than 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay along the Manitoba border.
“I have to stay,” the 38-year-old Oji-Cree chief told the Star from his band office.
“I have an obligation. A traditional role and a personal one, to keep everyone and the community safe,” said the married father of three.
As of Saturday, there were 117 forest fires burning through 500,000 hectares across northern Ontario and 3,951 people have been evacuated.
Fiddler is using untraditional means to stay in touch with Sandy Lake residents, who have been moved to 11 different areas as far south as Ottawa and Kitchener.
Each day he uploads a progress report on YouTube in both English and Oji-Cree. He’s even posted online helicopter surveys of the fire and videos of hungry dogs on the reserve being fed.
“We are doing okay. There is power and water,” he said confidently in Friday’s posting. “Your homes are safe, your community is safe.”
Fiddler stayed behind with 20 others to assist the now 40 firefighters who are on the ground in the area.
Bombarded with calls from anxious residents, the idea to use social media was suggested to Fiddler as a way to communicate so he doesn’t have to constantly repeat himself on the phone.
“We aren’t wireless here but we are connected to the Internet in the band office,” he said.
The evacuation of Sandy Lake began by the Canadian military on Monday evening. The first to be lifted out were the elderly, those with health problems, mothers and their children.
“But during the full evacuation on Tuesday, we tried to remain calm but you could see the flames,” Fiddler recalled. The weather was incredibly hot, the wind 50 km an hour and no rain was in sight.
The priority was to get people out as fast as they could, explained Fiddler.
Now, the search is on to try and reunite families with the help of the Canadian Red Cross.
“People went out and we didn’t know where they landed,” he said. “We have a mom in Winnipeg, a father in Ignace and the kids are in Moosonee.”
There are 280 Sandy Lake residents staying at a downtown Thunder Bay hotel.
They eat their meals together in a restaurant attached to the hotel — which has a large bar that is not in use while the Sandy Lake residents are there. Sandy Lake is a dry reserve, no alcohol or drugs are permitted.
Band council member Joe Kakegamic has been charged with keeping watch of the flock. “I keep telling everyone that we are in the best place,” he said. “Everything is pretty well provided for us here.”
But everyone is stressed about their homes and worried about those left behind, he said. “The chief is still there, he coordinated the evacuation. And he won’t leave,” Kakegamic added.
Three First Nations — Cat Lake, Keewaywin and Koocheching have been fully evacuated.
Not all Ontario communities have been welcoming to evacuees, said Deputy Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation Mike Metatawabin.
He has heard some Sandy Lake residents staying in Marathon have received racist taunts. About 200 First Nations evacuees are in Marathon.
The small municipality of Greenstone, population 4,900, has nearly 1,000 evacuees staying in town, said Mayor Ron Beaulieu. “We have them set up in the Catholic school, the public schools,” he said. “And we’ve organized different activities for them — floor hockey, baseball.”
Cloudy, cooler weather is helping the nearly 2,000 firefighters in the northwest, said Owen Vaughan, a fire information officer stationed in Dryden.
There are 99 active fires in the region but some are in various stages of control.
For the last couple of days the weather in the area has been damp and cool, pushing away some of the smoke and intense heat that prevents firefighting, he said.
“To get a fire out you need to get a hose around it on the ground and use buckets from the air,” he said.
“The old saying on the fire line is people don’t put out fires, Mother Nature does. We help,” he said.
Fires will not be declared out until infrared scanners, so sensitive they can pick up a lit cigarette from the air, show no activity for days, he added.
On Thursday and Friday, there was rain in Sandy Lake.
“But it is not sinking in,” said Fiddler via YouTube. “It burns underneath in the muskeg underground. It is still an active fire, not under control.”
The concern is if the weather gets hot again, smouldering embers will reignite the bush.
“Unfortunately today, it is a beautiful day here,” Fiddler said. “That isn’t good.”
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NAN Press release
Grand Chief Calls For State Of Emergency, Assistance From Armed Forces, Due To Forest Fire Threat
THUNDER BAY, ON, July 19, 2011 /CNW/ - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy today called on the governments of Canada and Ontario to commit all available emergency resources to assist First Nation communities under immediate threat by forest fires raging across Northwestern Ontario.
"I am calling on the Government of Canada to mobilize all available resources, including the Armed Forces, to ensure that enough aircraft are available to evacuate First Nations at a moment's notice. I am also asking the Province of Ontario to declare a state of emergency so that all necessary resources can be directed to protect the health and safety of the residents of these communities," said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy. "Many remote First Nations under imminent threat from these fires rely completely on air transportation. There is a very real danger that heavy smoke from these fires could prevent aircraft from landing, making it impossible to get people out safely if an evacuation is ordered."
More than 115 forest fires are currently raging across Northwestern Ontario, placing thousands of residents of NAN communities in immediate danger from growing fires and dense smoke. The threat is expected to reach critical levels over the next few days.
To date, as many as 200 residents of Keewaywin First Nation were evacuated to Winnipeg Monday evening after 197 residents were evacuated Sunday. Eighty residents of Cat Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Dryden and 170 residents of North Spirit Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Greenstone. About 750 residents of Sandy Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Thunder Bay, and 230 residents of Kingfisher Lake First Nation are on standby for evacuation.
NAN is asking northwestern cities and municipalities to continue to assist by providing emergency shelters for as many as 5,000 residents who could be forced to flee their homes this week. Host communities including Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Fort Frances, Dryden, Geraldton and Red Lake have already received or are preparing to receive evacuees.
"We recognize that the high instance of forest fires in Northern Ontario is putting a tremendous strain on emergency services but we have to ensure that adequate resources are available to evacuate all residents of communities under immediate threat," said Beardy. "The danger is very real, and we need assurances that Elders, young children and people with respiratory problems will be able to be evacuated before the situation worsens."
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty No. 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty No. 5 - an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario.
For further information:
Julaine Trudeau, Communications - Nishnawbe Aski Nation (807) 625-4978, (613) 618-4946 mobile or by email jtrudeau@nan.on.ca.
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Current Fire Situation
July 19, 2011
There is a continuing effort in Ontario today to address the growing forest fires, as the weather forecast provides extreme burning conditions. Although a weather system looks to be coming into the province from the west, the relief it brings will only be temporary; gusting winds and extreme fire behaviour are expected to follow.
Suppression efforts continue for Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in both the Northwest and Eastern regions. New lightning activity will challenge initial fire suppression resources. The hot, dry weather will give way to extreme fire behaviour and major growth to several fires. Value protection, civilian and fire fighter safety remains a top priority while addressing the fire situation.
There are 13 new fires in the province today, bringing the total number of active fires to 99. Due to the steady hot weather patterns, this trend is expected to continue. The 2011 fire season is proving to be one of the busiest seasons in over a decade.
Smoke continues to be an issue for communities in the far north. Many communities have declared emergencies and numerous evacuations continue to take place. North Spirit Lake, Cat Lake and Sandy Lake evacuations are underway today. In recent days, approximately 1500 residents have been evacuated from northern communities.
A Restricted Fire Zone continues to be implemented on the north western regions of the province. More information on Restricted Fire Zones is available at Current Restricted Fire Zones in Ontario.
Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergencies services continue to utilize out of province resources, including personnel and aircraft, from British Colombia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec. The Canadian Armed Forces have also coordinated efforts with our provincial fire fighters, and work with community liaisons to ensure safe, timely evacuations.
20 new fires are expected to start today as a result of lightning passing easterly through the province. High temperatures and humidex will be a cause for concern for anyone working outside today. South westerly winds indicate a high fire hazard in the western part of the province.
To see where forest fires are burning click here:
http://forest.lrc.gov.on.ca/AFFM/fire/interactivemap/firemap_English.htm
For Forest Fire Danger see map.
More Information
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Ontario wildfires force hundreds from homes
Smoke causing difficulties as more than 100 blazes rage
Jul 19, 2011
Canadian Forces personnel are using Hercules aircraft to move about 400 people out of threatened Keewaywin First Nation— a community about 570 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. The military has also helped evacuate 385 people from Fort Hope and Sandy Lake.
There are 103 active fires burning in Ontario, with 16 new fires Monday. Most of the fires are considered out of control.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy, who represents a group of affected communities that are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest road, said evacuations are moving too slowly.
"It's so important that those people have to be evacuated right away, immediately, before the smoke covers the whole village [and] aircrafts might not be able to get in."
About a dozen communities are moving their most vulnerable residents — sick and elderly, young children and expectant mothers — out because of the smoke. Thousands of people in total are expected to be moved.
Volunteers at an evacuation centre in Thunder Bay worked until the early hours of Tuesday morning helping about 250 residents from Sandy Lake First Nation settle into their temporary home.
Smoke hampering firefighting
The smoke is causing problems for the more than 2,500 firefighters too. Water bombers could not hit their targets because of low visibility and spotter planes were grounded, meaning crews could not map where the fires are going.
Hydro poles that have been destroyed also can't be fixed because of the smoke.
The forest fire hazard remains extremely high in Ontario and the relatively low number of fires in recent summers means the boreal forest is full of dead wood that is adding fuel to the flames — one fire grew from 10,000 to 70,000 hectares in one day.