Fighting the Long Lake wildfire in Annapolis County has taken the most of amount of effort to protect structures than ever before in our province’s history.
More than 1,000 were forced from hundreds of homes since the blaze broke out August 13.
Dave Rockwood, provincial fire and GSAR co-ordinator, with the Department of Emergency Management said in a press conference Thursday, he has been fighting fires for 20 years and expected a much worse outcome considering how dry the conditions have been.
“When I left on the last Sunday, I pulled safely to a location off Morse Road, I didn’t expect anything to be left. We were looking at 200-foot flames peeking over the ridge,” said Rockwood. “Yeah, quite frankly, it’s amazing the structures that are there are still there with the fire behavior that we’ve seen.”
It was August 24, when the winds from Hurrican Erin travelling offshore, took hold of the fire bringing it to a new level of destruction.
“That there is anything left is just an absolute testament to the work that was put in around by the volunteer firefighters in the community as well as the amazing work being done in the woods by the DNR personnel,” said Rockwood.
“They’ve been going through absolute hell in the woods. There is no other way to say it.”
He said it took a lot of manpower and a lot of equipment with safety the number one priority.
“At the end of the day, I need to be able to make sure that all personnel under my control, go home,” added Rockwood.
He adds, he has had a lot of emotions for three weeks now.
“It’s difficult at times to choke things back. I feel for everybody that has lost,” said Rockwood.
Evacuations and re-entry
Roughly 500 homes in total were evacuated, with 360 that were able to be re-entered this week.
Twenty homes were destroyed along with 11 other structures like barns.
Out of control
The Long Lake wildfire remains at 8,468 hectares and out of control.
Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection said it being a late summer fire, with fuels available to burn, it is a real possibility we could into the fall before it is declared out.
“We’ll maintain our effort as long as we need to, to make sure this fire is not going to move again,” said Rudderham.
