The forest fire wasn’t all that noticeable when first arriving Monday, June 17 in Mistissini. The community didn’t have the look of a place that only three days before had evacuated the Elders, babies, pregnant women and people with asthma. Mistissini residents working at the nearby Troilus Mine had gone back to work. Troilus had been evacuated also because of fires.
The only real evidence that first day that something was happening was the helicopters. Two huge Corsica S-61’s. They require two pilots, one to work the throttle and one to steer it. They carried buckets capable of holding 1,000 gallons of water. Every time they landed to refuel there was an audience on hand. The unexpected force of the wind generated by take-off often pushed people back. Then they would be off to fight Fire 489.
Luc Pruneau, the head firefighter in charge of Fire 489, said the blaze started on June 13 and came within 5 km of Mistissini. It was 20 square miles in area. “It’s young in the season for this many fires,” he said, adding this fire would be considered dead in about three more days.
Other communities also had close calls. Waswanipi evacuated about 154 Elders, babies, pregnant women and people with asthma on June 18 and 19. Matthew Ottereyes of Waswanipi’s Fire Brigade said that by June 24 there was no smoke in the community and the fires were under control. In Waskaganish, Constable Chris Byuere said the fires around the community are under control. The people who had been evacuated have returned to their community. Nemaska, though threatened by fires in the area, did not have to evacuate anyone.
By June 18, there were 714 forest fires to date in Quebec. With so many fires, Quebec has had to call for outside help. British Columbia and Maine responded with equipment loans and Alberta sent a forest fire fighting unit.
Ranger Terry Sawyer was the group leader for the Albertans. He was also the only non-Native in the group from Alberta. Alberta’s Forestry Service has a long history of hiring Natives to fight fires. “We’ve always contacted the nearest band to the fire,” said Sawyer. “It’s a source of employment and expands our potential fire bases in Alberta.”
The 28 Natives called in to fight the Mistissini fires were from the Bigstone Cree Band in Wabasca, Alberta. Robert Quintell, the Albertan crew’s timekeeper, said his people have been doing this for generations. “There are stories of packing horses with firefighting equipment by our people.” One of the workers was George Yellowknife. He has spent 51 years fighting forest fires. On June 20, he reached his 65th birthday while out firefighting. When Yellowknife got back that day, he had a surprise birthday party waiting for him compliments of the band, complete with a cake and gifts. Yellowknife received a pair of mooshide gloves and a watch with the band logo on it. The Alberta Crees are apparently enjoying Mistissini hospitality so much they don’t want to leave.
The vast majority of the fires threatening Cree communities were started by lightening. Less than 1 per cent of the 114 new fires were attributed to humans.
