Grainswest - Fall 2023

Fall 2023 grainswest.com 31 Fire creates expense and logistical difficulties when livestock must be evacuated, penned and fed. Post-fire, burned trees may pose a hazard for the animals. season,” predicted Hale. He believes the cattle may be at risk of injury on the sharp, burned trees. “You can see animals stepping on them and poking themselves.” Another concern after the fire was thirsty cattle and empty dugouts. When the fire hit in the spring, they had already run low due to lack of runoff. Some were completely emptied as firefighters dipped into them with helicopter water buckets, using them as a local water source to fight the fires. Soon after the fire, government water trucks refilled a number of those dugouts. The effects of the fire have not all been negative. There were a lot of dead poplars, rose bushes and deadfall along the river that had previously prevented the cattle from grazing in certain places. With the fire hazard gone, there’s more area for the cattle to graze and the burn encouraged the growth of wild plants they like to eat. Hale, who is also a pastor at the Worsley Baptist Church, said it was especially encouraging to see the community act as one amid the disaster. Many donated their time, trucks, sprayers and water pumps or supported the families whose homes burned. “It was quite an amazing thing to see people pulling together,” said Hale. “I was thankful for that. It just seemed like there was a real demonstration of caring for each other and that was pretty amazing.” Hale said his neighbours worked hard to protect farms and property in the community, which supported the diligence of firefighters. Community members made fire guards by back burning and discing and hosing down the roofs of houses. Some used their spray trucks to transport water for the firefighting effort. “One night, it was pretty hot right where those guys were spraying water, almost more than you could stand, but they saved that house,” said Hale. It can be a hard line to draw between being safe and wanting to protect property and help others. While there was no mandatory evacuation in Clear Hills County, a number of people did choose to leave while others stayed. “I don’t know of any person who lost their lives around here,” said Hale. “We’re very thankful to the Lord for that.” SAFETY TAKES PRIORITY The top priority in every wildfire emergency should be people’s safety, said Jody Wacowich, executive director of AgSafe Alberta, the province’s farm and ranch safety association. “We want to make sure we get the farm family