Athabasca Chipewyan declare state of emergency to help members get home

The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, based in Fort Chipewyan, Alta., has declared a state of emergency as it attempts to get its members home as a wildfire continues to blaze in the nearby city ofFort McMurray.

Chief Allan Adam says that any displaced members of the First Nationor Fort Chipewyan residents should call the band office as soon as possible at (780) 713-1451 or (780) 697-3730, or e-mailwith their location.

The First Nation will then attempt to organize a ride to an airstrip, where a plane will fly them home.

• UPDATE:Emotions high as Fort Chipewyan, Alta., welcomes evacuees

"We're trying to organize a head count for all the members of ACFN, and people from Fort Chip," said Adam.

"If they want to come back for Fort Chip, we're trying to get a plane arranged. But we need to get organized."

Adam said that the First Nation has clearance to land at a Shell airstrip north of Fort McMurray, where a plane will pick up residents and bring them back to Fort Chipewyan. However, he added that the First Nation was having difficulty reaching all its members.

"We've got people all over the place, we can't get ahold of everybody," he said. "People are everywhere. People are displaced everywhere.

"I've got people down in Lac La Biche, Edmonton. My wife is stranded in Albian Sands. Wehave boats that launched on the lake this morning [to try and ferry people home by water], some of them are still stranded on the lake, on the ice right now. Some have went through.

"We're doing what we can, but everybody's in disarray right now, because nobody could understand the magnitude of how important this is."

Adam said the fire situation has placed the community of Fort Chipewyan, located approximately 200 kilometres north of Fort McMurray but only accessible by air andseasonal ice road, into "chaos."

"Nobody has dealt with the situation before," he said. "We're trying to calm the situation down before we do stuff."

Once the situation has calmed, said Adam, the AthabascaChipewyan First Nation is planning to meet with the Mikisew Cree and local Mtis leaders to co-ordinate a response, saying that "all... options are open right now," including housing people displaced to Fort Chipewyanby the fire.

Adam urged all members of the Athabasca Tribal Council to use the government supports in place if they are displaced by the fire.

"We are doing what we can from our office, but please utilize the government support plans that are out there right now," he said. "It's the best thing that is being offered."

'Fort Chip is like one big family'

As leaders attempt to co-ordinate transportation for displaced members, the community with a population of about 850is hard at work preparing for arrivals.

"Fort Chip is like one big family," said resident Bertha Cyprien. "So we're all together trying to help everybody, and find rooms and accommodations for them."

Cyprien said that the community is organizing boats to pick up people displaced by the fire, and is also organizing donations of groceries and clothes "jackets, blankets, whatever they need," said Cyprien.

A community restaurant, Chip's Family Restaurant, is also preparing to "cook up a storm" for people coming into the community, according to Cyprien.