Hilda fire was someone’s fault
Fire commissioner’s office confirms the likely igniter was a legal burning pit not properly extinguished
The Office of the Fire Commissioner has publicly confirmed what many have suspected on the ground for some time — that the Hilda wildfire of Oct. 17 had a human cause.
“The Office of the Fire Commissioner has determined that the fire’s point of origin was a burning pit, which had been used under a fire permit from Cypress County on October 13,” said a late Thursday statement attributed to Provincial Fire Commissioner Kevan Jess.
“That fire had been thought by the permit holder to have been out at the end of that day. It has been determined that it is most likely the elevated wind speeds on October 17 that provided additional oxygen to a remaining ember or embers from the previous fire. The ember or embers were spread into the surrounding vegetation.”
While the statement does acknowledge some human agency in the circumstances of the wildfire, Reeve Richard Oster of Cypress County said the Fire Commissioner’s Office confirmed to county staff on Friday they are likely still weeks away from issuing a detailed, final report.
“There is a point of origin, but there is not any point of blame,” stated Oster. “The fire did occur three days afterward, and we do not know what the fire commissioner is going to come up with. And until they come up with something concrete, in a written, detailed statement, we are not ready to say anything. What we will say is it has been an emotional time for everyone affected, and we will continue to do what we can to help.”
For local landowner Ken Kundert, who lost more than 100 cattle in the blaze, whether the fire commissioner chooses to name names or not does not change the facts.
“We as a community know (on whose land) where the fire started, whether they publicly acknowledge it or not,” says Kundert. “There is mixed feelings between frustration, possibly some anger, disappointment — the whole gamut of feelings. It seemed to have taken quite a long time to get an official statement out of it. As for the local part, there is some disappointment with how it has been handled by those involved, and wishing they would be more out in the public trying to make amends.”
Kundert said he hopes this official acknowledgment of the facts will finally kickstart the provincial government’s response to assist with the local recovery effort.
“It may get the ball rolling in terms of next steps which need to take place, both locally and maybe in Edmonton as well,” he said.
The Kirschenman family lost their house, crop and much for their farm machinery in the blaze. Andrew Kirschenman also felt a public acknowledgment of facts everyone already knows means less than nothing without some follow-up action by the provincial government.
“If nothing changes, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If it doesn’t make a difference in compensation or anything like, it really doesn’t matter.”
Besides the local landowners at the origin of the blaze, Kirschenman felt the county had to shoulder some share of the blame in allowing fire permits to be granted during such a dry season.
“I think these questions have to be asked, and I know the county is looking at them,” he said. “I have confidence there will be changes made, but none of those (changes) would have happened if this fire hadn’t started on Oct. 17.”
Kirschenman also called for calm from his neighbours.
“There has been some frustration and anger, but I think I would say to anyone who has feelings of anger toward what is suspected to be the guilty party, it could have been any of us (at fault),” said Kirschenman. “It could have been a bearing on a combine. A bearing on a baler; a drive shaft. Tall grass in the muffler. I think we have to make sure we think about what any of us would have done in that situation going forward.”