CLARESHOLM. AB – The MD of Willow Creek continues to assess the damage done by two grass fires Sunday afternoon.
Separate blazes were sparked south of Claresholm and south of Fort Macleod and burned 4,800 hectares.
All five fire stations in the MD of Willow Creek responded while calls for mutual aid were enacted with Vulcan County, Foothills County, Lethbridge County and Alberta Forestry crews from Calgary.
In addition to these formally trained firefighters coming to the rescue, the MD’s Chief Administrative Officer Derrick Krizsan says it was all-hands-on-deck for citizens as well.
He tells our radio station “we had water trucks, heavy farm equipment with discs, as well we had individuals moving cattle and livestock and of course we had RCMP, Peace Officers, Sheriffs, Conservation Officers and Alberta Health Services all working together to ensure public safety.”
Krizsan says about 134 properties were affected by the fires with four homes and 26 outbuildings lost.
There is no damage estimate as of yet and the causes of the fires are under investigation.
Emergency responders were also called to five vehicle collisions Sunday afternoon in the midst of the fires.