Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 55 • Issue 34
FREE
More than 200 forest fires this year in the Northeast region CIBC BOOK SALES RETURN TO COMMUNITY NEWS - PAGE 3
HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS REUNITE IN THOMPSON NEWS - PAGE 7
THOMPSON REPRESENTED IN SLO PITCH FINALS SPORTS - PAGE 7
BACK TO SCHOOL! PAGE 5
BY MOLLY GIBSON KIRBY MOLLY@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
The Paint Lake initial attack forest fire fighters have had a steady summer says Shauna Kortz, Fire Control Officer for Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship. “It’s started out as a busy fire season in the south. We sent our crews down there, and once it slowed down there they came back to Paint Lake, and then things started to heat up in June and July. We got quite busy all over the province, and then it quieted right own in August,” Kortz went on to explain. There are 30 crewmembers
stationed at Paint Lake Provincial Park, as well as two helitech officers. The officers sit in the passenger seat of the helicopter and assist with telling the pilot where to go, and instructing the firefighters what to do with that specific fire. As of Aug. 21 five crews were out fighting a fire, and in the Northeast region, which consists of Paint Lake, Norway House, Cross Lake, Indian Lake and Pukatagwagon. Currently there were 13 fires. Nine of the fires were limited actioned fires, with two being out of control, and one under control, and six being watched. There were
also four no action fires. This year to date (Aug.21) there has been 206 fires in the region, and 193 have been put out. Lightening caused 147 of them, and 59 of them have been caused by humans. Contracts start for the firefighters at the end of April, beginning of May, and usually run until the middle of August. Kortz says some have now been extended because of the current fires, and will go until Sept. 11. This summer crews from Wisconsin came to help Paint Lake because crew members work for 24 days, and once they hit the maximum, they take days
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off. Kortz says having the other crews come into town will give the Paint Lake firefighters a break to refresh themselves before go out for the next fire. When the crews are not fighting fires they’re doing Fire Smart work in the park, which consists of removing dead trees. As well they visit schools to teach fire prevention with Smokey the Bear, as well this year they made a float for the Nickel Day Parade. The position at Paint Lake is a recallable position, and members will return next spring to Paint Lake for another summer of fighting fires.
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