Media Release - Prince Albert Police Thank Community for Support Following Wildfire

The Prince Albert Police Service would like to thank the local community for their generous support and words of encouragement following the Cloverdale Fire last month.

When the fire broke out northeast of the community, the police service’s Patrol section quickly mobilized to assist with evacuations of residents, direct traffic in the area, and ensure the protection of personal property. Many officers worked overtime and adjusted their own personal schedules to support fire suppression efforts, working in partnership with our public safety partners, including the Prince Albert Fire Department, City of Prince Albert, RCMP, Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

Officers supported the fire suppression efforts while also responding to numerous other calls involving disturbances, public intoxication, and property crime, and supporting members in the Criminal Investigations Division (CID), Forensic Identification Section (FIS), and other units on major investigations involving violent crime.

Since the fire, the police service has received cards of thanks from residents in the evacuation area following the fire with messages including:

“Your efforts were so greatly appreciated. Thank you for getting us all out safely and protecting our properties. We are all eternally grateful.”

“When we looked back at our house we saw huge plumes of smoke almost engulfing our home and our yard … There was a police officer at the end of our driveway. We talked to him about our fears with one of them being our fear of theft. He said, ‘don’t worry’, I’ll watch your driveway and will drive up to your yard as well. Other officers throughout the evacuation were also very kind, reassuring and left us feeling very calm during a very hectic situation.”

The Prince Albert Police Service is grateful for the ongoing support during what was a stressful time for the entire community, said Police Chief Jonathan Bergen.

“Our police members worked together on a coordinated police response to support the community in managing this fire,” Chief Bergen said. “Their professionalism and experience ensured the safety of residents and their property during evacuations, and supported overall efforts to contain this fire.”

Information from the City of Prince Albert showed the cause of the Cloverdale Fire to be a lightening strike.

(Photos courtesy the City of Prince Albert)