Davey Tree Flipbooks

7 September/October 2023 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN DRAYTON VALLEY AND DEEP CREEK WILDFIRES FortisAlberta account crews responded to damaged trees in the Drayton Valley and Deep Creek wildfires. In total, 5,200 trees were removed in Drayton Valley, and 1,900 trees were removed in Deep Creek. Daniel Drewes, account manager, Fortis Alberta account, said their first day in Drayton Valley was May 15, and their response was concentrated in the Blue Rapids Provincial Recreational Park area. "We were utilizing the aerial bucket trucks to top the trees below the impact point with the power lines so that they were safe," Drewes said. For the first few weeks, Drewes said, as crews were felling the trees, the act of felling a tree into the ash would sometimes stir up the embers from underneath and create hot spots. "We'd go in with water packs and hose the area down to put the fire out," he said. The remediation work began in Deep Creek at the end of June. New utility poles had already been installed and the lines had been rebuilt. "We went in to clean up trees to maintain line security," Drewes said. This experience has been a good example of Davey being able to respond and help our clients, Drewes added. "Due to our size and volume, we were able to respond with a lot of diverse personnel and adapt to and accommodate those requests in several different areas throughout Alberta for different clients," he said. Steve Kerr, manager, forestry, FortisAlberta, said that their vegetation management contractors, including Davey, provided an essential resource to support and aid their efforts to rebuild and reenergize Albertans impacted by the wildfires. "This crucial role meant addressing thousands of trees in the areas all while displaying a commitment to safety and FortisAlberta," Kerr said. "As we continue to work through the impacted wildfire areas to ensure our customers and our assets remain safe, our contractor responsiveness is instrumental in helping us navigate through the challenges. We appreciate and recognize the work that has been completed and the level of service provided by vegetation management during a stressful time." Drayton Valley wildfire: Greg Bauer, Bernabe Beringuela, Daniel Drewes, Kenton Gordon, Lucas Kimmy, Ade Martin, Andy Sabandal, Robbie Wesner and Theodore Zagozewski. Deep Creek wildfire: Shane Allen, Terry Moland, Brandan St. Amour and Chris Wesner. FortisAlberta account employees who assisted: Above: This is an example of how the Drayton Valley, Alberta wildfire burned through the trunks of trees that were still standing. The full tree stood about 45-feet tall. Below: The Drayton Valley wildfire is pictured on May 16, 2023. "This was one of the highest priority sites we had. It is a cross-country, three-phase line which crosses the river heading west and feeds the town of Drayton Valley. There was approximately three-quarters of a mile that crossed two ravines with creeks that we had to clear," said Daniel Drewes, account manager, FortisAlberta account.

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