2011 Slave Lake fire
| 2011 Slave Lake Wildfire | |
|---|---|
| Location | Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $750 million ($804 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Date(s) | May 14, 2011 – May 16, 2011 |
| Burned area | 4,700 hectares (12,000 acres) |
| Cause | Arson |
| Buildings destroyed |
433 (+89 damaged) |
| Fatalities | 1 (indirectly via helicopter crash) |
Coordinates: 55°16.4′N 114°45.6′W / 55.2733°N 114.7600°W
A large wildfire burned through the Town of Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada and its surrounding area from Saturday, May 14, 2011 through Monday, May 16, 2011. The conflagration, which originated 15 kilometres (9 mi) outside of town as a forest fire, was quickly pushed past fire barriers designed to protect the town by 100 kilometres per hour (60 mph) winds. The fire forced the complete evacuation of Slave Lake's 7,000 residents—considered the largest such displacement in the province's history at the time—to the nearby towns of Athabasca and Westlock, as well as the provincial capital of Edmonton. No casualties were reported amongst the town's population, but a pilot was killed when his helicopter crashed while he was battling the fires around the community.
The fire destroyed roughly one-third of Slave Lake; 374 properties were destroyed and 52 damaged in the town, and another 59 were destroyed and 32 damaged in the surrounding Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124, leaving 732 residents homeless. The town hall was completely gutted by the fire, as was the library and radio station. The hospital, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station and schools remained standing, however. Insurable damage was estimated at C$750 million, making it the second costliest insured disaster in the country's history at the time. An RCMP investigation concluded that the cause of the fire was arson; however, no arrests were made.
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