Barnes praises county residents for their efforts following Hilda-area prairie fire
By Gillian Slade on October 27, 2017.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com @MHNGillianSlade The recent fire in the Hilda area wiped out five or six homesteads, says a local MLA. “Some are completely gone, many outbuildings and thousands of acres,” Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes said. “If the rain hadn’t started, that fire might be still going.” Barnes says about 800 animals died as a result. “Hats off to Cypress County for handling the disposal of the affected animals. Cypress County council made the decision to pick up the dead animals and take them to the rendering plant in Lethbridge. That was a good decision,” said Barnes. Some of the ranchers affected were about to be sending cattle to market. Some lost up to 100 head of cattle representing a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, said Barnes. “$200,000 or $300,000 was gone just like that,” he said. About 150 people affected by the fire met in the community hall in Schuler on Wednesday evening. The focus was on each other, on the community and on ensuring people know their neighbours are there to help in the immediate future and also for the long term, Barnes said. “Huge hats off that community for their ability to get together and focus on helping each other and the first responders for all they did.” Chinook Financial, a division of Connect First Credit Union, has partnered with community groups in the Wheatland, Empress and Hilda regions to set up “crisis intervention funds” available to assist those who have lost homes, livestock or farmland, according to a press release from the organization. “The credit union will be matching proceeds raised through local branch fundraising efforts, up to a maximum of $5,000,” says the press release. Donations can be made at all local Chinook Financial branches or by cheque to the Brooks or Strathmore branches designated for one of the following: Wheatland Fire Relief Fund, Empress Fire Relief Fund or Hilda Fire Relief Fund. “There are some families that are literally devastated — they have lost their livelihood — this year’s calf.. next year’s calf, and with the pastures gone there’s an inability to restock,” said Debbie Ross, chief administrative officer for Family Community Support Services in Empress. “It’s going to take years to rebuild, and a lot of stuff is not covered by insurance. We need to support these farmers and ranchers in any way we can. There are well over a dozen families in our communities who have lost a lot.” 14
-13
