In addition to helping with the initial response to the wildfire near Lac Des Arcs that began Friday (July 23), the department has seen an 11.5 per cent jump in calls compared to the same time period last year.
Canmore Fire-Rescue Chief Walter Gahler said the number of calls responded to in July compared to the same month in 2020 has also increased by 25 per cent.
“Some people see Canmore as a quaint little holiday town, but we have all the same challenges and risks you’ll find in a major metro centre just scaled down. … We’re seeing a big uptick in serious medical calls,” he said. “Call volumes really come down to growth in the community, people spending more time in their second homes and the uptick in visitorship.
“People should be very careful and understand the environment they’re in. … It’s a really busy community with a lot going on and it results in increased medical events.”
A crew of four from Canmore Fire-Rescue initially responded to the wildfire, along with Exshaw Fire-Rescue. An additional Canmore crew of five was held back closer to the town in case of other calls.
Firefighters from Alberta Forestry quickly attended the scene and were able to contain the fire from spreading, which is now considered under control.
“They got the tankers and helicopters in the air really quick. They were hitting that from the air in short order,” Gahler said. “There’s not a lot of infrastructure near there, but the highway infrastructure is one of the busiest in western Canada. … It’s a reminder for the community to be careful.”
Throughout the weekend, Canmore paramedics and firefighters were kept busy with several fire and medical calls, as well as rescues in the backcountry on Sunday (July 25). The department also responded to a scene where an elk had been struck by a car.
Gahler reminded residents of an ongoing fire advisory for Canmore. Safe wood campfires that are within fire rings, charcoal briquettes, portable propane fire pits, gas or propane stoves and barbecues and catalytic/infrared style heaters are allowed.
All fire permits, however, are cancelled and additional restrictions may be announced.
“We really need to protect the forest we have because it’s starting to dry out," Gahler said. "We’re keeping an eye on it. We’re watching it day-by-day.”
Canmore Fire-Rescue also has three members as part of Canada Task Force 2 – Alberta’s all-hazards disaster response team – which is helping with ongoing flood management in the Yukon Territory.
The increased call volume is little surprise.
The 2020 year-end report had a 5.4 per cent increase compared to 2019 as calls went up from 628 to 662.
Gahler noted the increase in calls has been consistent, ranging from medical assistance, fires, alarms and motor vehicle collisions.
Other nearby emergency response departments have also seen drastic increases. Kananaskis Public Safety saw a 40 per cent jump between 2019 and 2020, and as of earlier this month, the rescuers were on par to surpass their 2020 numbers.
As visitation has increased and the Bow Valley has seen more people move to the area, Gahler said the calls will continue to come in.
“The warm weekends really bump those numbers, and in my four years here, I’ve really seen the year-over-year consistent increase across the board that just really points to the increased population we’re serving," he said.
