Dene Tha' residents forced to leave because of wildfires

[admin]

Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

July 11th, 2012 - Wildfires forced residents of Dene Tha' First Nation to leave their community in northwestern Alberta.

Eleven wildfires are burning out of control in Mackenzie County where a mandatory evacuation is in force for the Hamlet of Zama and area work camps.

Residents of the Dene Tha' First Nation are under a voluntary evacuation and about 164 have registered as evacuees.

Authorities are urging all evacuees to register at the evacuation centre at the High Level Town Hall or call 780-841-1263 even if they do not require accommodation.

By registering, evacuees will be able to get critical information about services available to them and information on when it is safe to re-enter their community.

Alberta Health Services is at the reception centre to provide health advice or access to medication. The Government of Alberta is currently assisting local authorities in identifying longer-term accommodations should the evacuation remain in effect for an extended period of time.

Strong winds last evening pushed the fire to within 10 kilometers of Zama. The fire is estimated to have burned more than 100,000 hectares.

Fire danger ratings throughout most of Alberta's forests have risen to high and in some places, extreme levels. Conditions are not expected to change into the weekend as hot temperatures persist and little rain is forecast.

Evacuated residents are encouraged to listen to local media or visit http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca for updated alerts.