Wildfire breaches Chipewyan Lake, temporarily stranding firefighters
Two firefighting crews in northern Alberta temporarily lost contact with their command centre Thursday evening after a wildfire breached the community they were working to protect.
The firefighters in Chipewyan Lake – four municipal firefighters and four firefighters specialized in preventing wildfire spread in urban settings – lost radio contact around 8:40 p.m., according to Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen and the Municipal District of Opportunity.
Authorities knew they were safe; one team sheltered at the community's fire station, while the other sheltered in the school, which had been designated the emergency shelter.
Attempts to use night-vision helicopters failed because of the heavy smoke, so at midnight, officials were still working on an extraction plan.
Eventually, it was determined the road out of the community was safe and the stranded teams drove out, assisted by a 20-person forestry crew who cleared felled trees.
More details are expected Friday, but the municipal district said 'preliminary reports indicate that there is structure loss in the community.'
This is a developing news story. More to come…
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