Pearl Lorentzen

Local Journalism Initiative

The evening of May 29, a wildfire swept through the west and southern part of Chipewyan Lake. The initial assessment estimated 27 structures burnt. A second aerial assessment counted 38 structures, plus nine sheds completely destroyed, 10 buildings partially damaged, and 38 buildings visibly intact. This is 49 per cent structure loss in the community.

Bigstone Cree Nation and the M.D. of Opportunity announced the above information in an online video on June 3.

The damage assessment was based on information gathered from the air, said M.D. Reeve Marshall (Marcel) Auger in the video. Alberta Wildfire hoped to have firefighters on the ground soon to do a thorough assessment. This which could show more damage.

“Our governments are committed to rebuilding Chipewyan Lake,” said Bigstone Chief Andy Alook in the video on June 3. “We are lobbying the federal and provincial governments to support the efforts.”

On June 6, the M.D. sent out a news release saying that the on-the-ground assessment would be delayed because of safety concerns with the propane tanks in the community. The community uses these to heat the buildings.

The possibility of this danger had been assessed from the air.

Alook and Auger flew over the fire on June 1 with Alberta Wildfire.

From the air on June 1, Alook said, told The Leader in a June 3 interview, he could see some of the propane lines from the tanks were burning, like a flare. These used to be connected to buildings, which burnt to the ground. The tanks are designed not to explode, but it is still a safety concern.

A 49 per cent structure loss is a lot, added Alook in the interview.

Part of that was for Alberta Wildfire to assess if the fire to the east of the community to see if was likely to turn back around and burn back into the community, said Alook. However, that was unlikely.

“The previous fire probably helped,” said Alook.

In 2023, a wildfire burnt into the community from the east. That time, it only burnt one cabin, which wasn’t used year-round.

Of the people who have homes in Chipewyan Lake, Alook told The Leader, 87 were living there at the time, and were evacuated to Wabasca. A few others have homes up there but were living away from the community for school or other reasons. Some in both groups lost their homes.