Former Slave Lake mayor recalls `life-changing' fire
Karina Pillay remembers everything about the wildfire. She remembers the chaos the day it hit. The fireballs falling around the town's government building. The traffic gridlock as flames blocked the roads.
“It was such a life-changing experience,” the former Slave Lake mayor said from Calgary, where she now works as a family doctor. “You just can't forget those vivid images in your head.”
Pillay was in her third term as mayor when the wildfire burned about one-third of the northern Alberta town 10 years ago this month.
Nearly 400 homes and businesses, including an apartment complex, were reduced to ash and rubble when fierce winds whipped the fire through town with little warning.
“Things changed so quickly,” recalled Pillay, who noted she was meeting with the fire chief and other council members at the newly built government building to talk about the fire when it hit town in 2011.
“Someone said, `Your roof is on fire.'”
As everyone fled the building, fireballs were falling from the sky, Pillay said.
Most residents had just minutes to flee. Communications went down and traffic became gridlocked.
“Lots of things started to fail for us,” said Pillay. “Thankfully, we were able to get everyone out.”
No one from town was injured, other than scrapes and minor burns, but 2,000 people were left homeless. The government building, including the library, was lost.
Damages were pegged at $700 million — one of the country's costliest disasters.
Pillay, who had lived in Slave Lake since she was a baby, spent the next two years working around the clock along with many others to start rebuilding the community.
“We didn't sleep much,” she said with a laugh. “Long hours, lots of meetings. It was pretty intense. Pretty intense at first. I don't think I had a break in a year.
“Our council was unbelievable. Half my council lost their homes, and they were still there in meetings, on the night they lost their homes, right from the get-go.”
About two months after the fire, Prince William and his wife Kate, who were on a cross-canada tour, made an impromptu visit to show their support.
“They were so genuine and caring and personable,” said Pillay, who took them on a tour of the damage.
The Alberta government announced in November 2011 that an unknown arsonist had recklessly or deliberately ignited the forest fire.
No one was ever charged.
Pillay left to attend medical school a few months before Alberta's 2013 municipal elections.
“Council, as my parting gift, gave me an engraved stethoscope. It has my name on it,” said Pillay.
“I still use it ... so I have a piece of Slave Lake with me all the time.”