CROWSNEST FIRES

August 21st 2003

The FIRE• Seasonal wildfire abruptly changes

coarse• 6 km wall of flame, reaching 50 metres

high• Gave off energy equivalent of an

atomic explosion every 30 minutes

A Personal Story..Elaine Hruby

• Resident of Hillcrest AB• Authorities had told her to leave by 10:00am that

morning• Drove 20 km west along valley• Watched as flames approached Hillcrest

Hruby Recalls:“I felt masochistic sitting on the outcropping.....but those flames were like a magnet”

After the Fire

• Over 20 000 hectares of forest burned• Declines observed in tourism and timber

industries• Spray Lake Sawmills benefited

- will use burnt lumber• Some ecological pros as well

- burned area creates diversity not seen before

BibliographyBackground 1• Hanna, C. (Photographer). (May 10, 2007) [Photograph of Crowsnest Pass, AB],

[Online Image]. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from Canada Job Exchange Blog. http://canadajobexchange.blogspot.com/2007/05/frank-slide.html

Background 2• Lost Creek Wildfire [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2009, from

University of Waterloo. http://www.environment.uwaterloo.ca/planning/faculty/stone/wildfire.html

Background 3• Hillcrest Intersection [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2009,

Crowsnest Pass Thoughts. http://garytaje.blogspot.com/2009/01/forest-growth-in-crowsnest-pass-and.html

Background 4• Crowsnest Pass burned Trail [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2009,

from geog.ubc.ca. http://www.geog.ubc.ca/courses/geog376/students/class06/fire/