Stephen Harper tours Slave Lake after wildfires

Prime Minister Stephen Harper completed an aerial tour of wildfire damage to Slave Lake and surrounding area on Friday.

Harper flew into the northern Alberta town on Friday morning to see for himself the damage caused by Sunday’s wildfire. Harper arrived by jet at the Slave Lake airport shortly after 11 a.m., and was met on the runway by Premier Ed Stelmach.

The two then boarded a military helicopter for an aerial tour of the devastated town and outlying areas.

The tour lasted about half an hour, and showed the full magnitude of the fire that levelled hundreds of homes and felled swaths of trees like piles of burned matchsticks.

Harper could be seen looking out the window at the destruction.

“Today I saw first-hand the devastation caused by the wildfires in and around Slave Lake which have displaced thousands of residents, destroyed houses and businesses and severely damaged the town’s infrastructure,” Harper said in a news release. “The thoughts and prayers of Canadians are with Albertan families affected by this terrible natural disaster.”

The federal government is supplying essentials such as generators, beds and blankets from the National Emergency Stockpile System in response to Alberta’s request for such items.

“During my tour of the area I was continually inspired by the courage and resilience of Albertans, the diligence of authorities and volunteers who are working around the clock to get Slave Lake back up and running, and the bravery of the firefighters who are battling wildfires across the province,” Harper stated.

Water bombers continue to circle in the skies above the town, fighting wildfires that burn in the dense forest outside the community.

Smoke hangs heavy in the area.

Harper is now meeting with emergency workers at the operations centre.