By Curtis Galbraith

Wildfires

Construction underway on new firebreak

May 16, 2023 | 3:29 PM

The City and County of Grande Prairie say in a joint news release that construction of the Southeast Grande Prairie Firebreak got underway today.

Local contractors are working on the project, one that will see a firebreak built that will be 30 kilometres long.

The release says it will go south of Evergreen Park and west to Highway 40. It will also go east from Evergreen Park, north to Aspen Ridge, and south to the Wapiti River. Most of it will be located on Crown land.

County Reeve Bob Marshall says this will help in a couple of ways.

“One, it will give a break so (a) fire can’t just carry on and then two, it will allow us to get equipment in there for (a) quicker response if there is something that happens.”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Marshall says they hope to have the entire length of the firebreak done at 30 metres wide in two weeks. Heavy equipment would come in later and widen it. It will be 200 metres wide in places.

Marshall says the Dunes West fire raised a lot of concerns.

“Especially with the fuel load south, with all that timber and them coming (from the) south into the city.”

“With that fuel load, how do we protect not only our county residents but also prevent (a fire) from moving into the city. That fire (Dunes West) just elevated it, that we need to do something.”

Marshall says farmland on other sides of the city makes it easier to do fire protection there.

“We can blacken that, and you can reduce the fuel loads, that’s more defensible. It’s a lot easier to defend from a wildfire standpoint.”

“When you get into the bush, I mean, we all saw what happened with Fort McMurray. We don’t want that to happen here.”

Marshall says this would allow officials to be better prepared if there is a fire south of Grande Prairie.

He adds a lot of discussion about this happened on Friday when Premier Danielle Smith was here to tour areas hit by fires.

The province is paying $5 million out of the $7.5 million cost of the firebreak, with the city and county paying $1.25 million each.