Some of the aftermath of the Cloverdale Fire. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D’Andrea

damage assessment

P.A. Fire Chief relieved no homes lost in Cloverdale Fire

May 20, 2021 | 5:13 PM

At times throughout the week, Prince Albert Fire Chief Kris Olsen was convinced at least one residence would be taken by the Cloverdale Fire that roared northeast of Prince Albert.

But Olsen was relieved to announce on Thursday during a press conference on Highway 55 near some of the damage that no residences were lost in the fire.

“We’re here to protect the citizens of Prince Albert, and it’s a great feeling, actually,” Olsen said. “A lot of hard work from our staff and the partners we have went into saving those buildings. There’s a sense of pride, as well.”

There were some close calls, as evacuations needed to be called for residents between Cloverdale and Honeywood roads on Monday, and the Berg Subdivision in Garden River on Wednesday, but the residences were saved.

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Olsen said a big part of that was due to the sprinkling systems that were set up, which protected the homes.

“Setting up home protection in a forested area such as this, the sprinkling is what saved these homes,” Olsen said. “There are some activities that can assist with that, like clearing of brush around your property and ladder fuels on your property, and having a sprinkler kit and being prepared. But our crews were able to come in successfully and put sprinklers on numerous buildings that would have been lost in the blaze. It’s truly a success story.”

Some of the aftermath of the Cloverdale Fire. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

All the frontline emergency crews from the City of Prince Albert, the RM of Buckland and the RM of Garden River all worked tirelessly to contain the fire and prevent as much damage as possible. Olsen said some worked as much as 40 straight hours, and tipped his cap to everybody on the ground fighting the fire.

“We all had our areas to protect, but I thought we all worked together well. My hat goes off to all the emergency responders, tireless hours, excellent effort, and I think the evidence is there in the saved structures,” Olsen said.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW