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EnvironmentWildres14TuesdayJuly12014SOCIALSERVICESAFTERHOURSPleaseCall867-621-1122FORTSMITHSOCIALSERVICEShaschangeditsEMERGENCYAFTERHOURSNUMBERIfyouneedtospeakwithaSocialWorkeraboutanemergencychildprotectionmatterpleasecall867-621-1122.EffectiveJuly1st2014.ByMARIACHURCHParksCanadaishappilywelcomingvisitorsbackintoWoodBuffaloNationalParkafterreopeningthePineLakeRoadanddroppingthenearbywildresratingtobeingmanaged.FirebehaviouriscurrentlylowandwearereopeningthePineLakeRoadandthePineLakeRecreationAreaasofnoononFridayJune27andlookforwardtowelcomingvisitorsbackintotheparkParksCanadaspokespersonTimGauthiertoldTheJour-nalinanemaillastFriday.ParsonsLakeRd.remainsclosedalongwithmostofthehikingtrailsnearPineLaketofacilitatequickcommuni-cationwiththepubliciftherestatuschangesheadded.WoodBuffalorecrewswiththehelpofcrewsfromWatertonLakesMountRev-elstokePrinceAlbertRid-ingMountainPukaskwaandJasperNationalParkshavebeenbattlingthePineLakewildrefortwoweeks.TherewasconsideredoutofcontroluntillastWednesday.Overthepastweekcrewshavebeenworkingintheburnedoutareastomoni-torandextinguishhotspots.Helicoptersarestilloutinforcedroppingbucketsofwateralongtheburnoutarea.FireghtersfromWater-tonLakesrotatedoutontheweekendbutanadditionalcrewfromLaMauriciewasbroughtintoreplacethem.ThetotalburnareabyMondaywasmorethan71000hectares.AccordingtoGauthiertherehavebeennounusualissueswiththisre.Allwildrespresentchal-lengesbutParksCanadasreghtersarehighlytrainedandreadytoadaptascondi-tionschangehesaid.GauthiersaidParksCanadawaspleasedwiththeexcel-lentcooperationfromthetownsresidentsduringtheincident.Localpeoplearefamil-iarwithwildreconditionseachsummerandgenerallyunderstandtheoccasionalre-quirementforroadorfacilityclosuresduetoreshesaid.Lastweeksawseveralmoreresigniteintheparkbringingthetotalburningupto16onMonday.WhileaboutofrainThursdaygavesomerespitewarmdryweatherovertheweek-endkeptthereconditionsextreme.Awildre12kmsouthofHwy.5and45kmwestofFortSmithgrewovertheweekto4684hectaresandwhilethegrowthislowParksCanadaisactioningtheretokeepitawayfromthehighway.AccordingtoParksasmall-scaleburnoutopera-tiontoremovevolatilefuelsbetweenthefireandthehighwayhassuccessfullydecreasedthethreat.WhoopingcranesnotthreatenedInresponsetoqueriesaboutthepossibledangertonearbynestsofendangeredwhoopingcranesGauthiersaidatthistimenonestingsitesarethreatened.Hesaidthenestsarelo-catedinwetlandareaswhichprovidesomeprotectionfromwildres.ShouldawildreencroachontheareaParksCanadawouldrespondasifthenestswerecabinsorothervaluesatriskGauthiersaid.PineLakereopensasParksregainscontrolofwildreCurrentwildresarenothreattowhoopingcranesParksCanadaPhotoMeaganWohlbergSaltRiverdayuseareaisnowopentovisitorsafterParksCanadadroppedthenearbywildreratingtobeingmanaged.