My Speeches

Grass Fire in Castor

Posted on Nov 22, 2007

Castor Area Grass Fire
Mr. Griffiths: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to speak of an event that happened in my constituency last week. A grass fire broke out within the constituency just north of Castor. If you recall, last week when this event happened, the winds on that day were gusting over 80 kilometres an hour. The fire spread rapidly, with over 2,000 acres burning at any one time. But an amazing thing happened that I think is symbolic of Alberta and Albertans' spirit. Volunteer firefighters from Stettler, Castor, Coronation, Galahad, Forestburg, Hanna, and virtually everywhere else within a 40- mile radius jumped to the call of a local emergency disaster to stave off what could have been a provincial disaster with winds that high. These volunteers fought off a fast, hot fire in high winds. They came together like Albertans do to solve a problem, and they saved farms, and they saved lives.
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One of the farms they saved is owned by a young friend of mine, Daryl Fetaz, who I'm sure someday will take my place in this Assembly. His parents, Rosemary and Paul, and his sister Jennifer watched as the fire licked around their farm right up yards from the house, terrified that it would take everything they owned. But it didn't, thanks to the hard work of those volunteer firefighters and locals that came in and joined to save this family's farm.
On behalf of myself, the Fetazes, the government, and all
Albertans, thank you to all volunteer firefighters and those that jumped to the call for what you do and what you did that day. Thank you for answering the call. You made us proud.