TC Energy announced this weekend that it is closely monitoring the wildfire situation in Western Canada and associated evacuation alerts/orders.
“Our priority is always the safety of our workers, their families, local and Indigenous communities, and first responders,” the company said in a statement posted on its website.
“Our thoughts are with the people impacted by the wildfires,” it added.
In the statement, TC Energy noted that it is providing support and remaining in close contact with a number of TC Energy employees and their families who were forced to evacuate from the Edson, Alberta, area on Friday night.
“We continue to monitor this dynamic situation closely and the potential impact to our employees who live and work in the area,” the company said in the statement.
“As a precaution, employees are not being deployed to facilities near active wildfires unless necessary. These facilities are monitored 24/7 remotely and operations can be halted, as required,” the company added.
TC Energy also highlighted in the statement that it has completed the controlled and safe shutdown of two compressor stations on its NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) System and a gas storage facility, which it noted are in close proximity to active wildfires in the Edson area.
“Other sections of the NGTL system and other pipeline systems continue to operate safely and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” the company said.
“Our regional operations team continues to support various activities in response to the wildfires and we continue to work closely with local authorities and Alberta Forestry,” TC Energy added.
In its previous statement on the wildfires, which was posted on the TC Energy site on May 17, the company revealed that it was continuing to run under normal operations on its NGTL System and other pipeline systems in Western Canada.
The company also announced in that statement that it was supporting community partners in Western Canada with an immediate $120,000 investment in emergency relief and recovery efforts, and amplifying employee donations with a 2:1 match.
According to the latest government data at the time of writing, there are 78 active wildfires in Alberta and 78 active wildfires in British Columbia. There are 11 wildfires of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta and six in British Columbia, the data shows. A wildfire of note is determined to be of significant public interest and may pose a threat to public safety, communities or critical infrastructure, the Alberta government website states.
“Over the weekend, rain and cooler temperatures affected southern regions or the province, temporarily lowering fire behavior,” the British Columbia government website noted in an update posted on June 12.
“Wildfire activity was quick to rebound, however, once conditions cleared and temperatures returned to at least a few degrees above seasonal,” it added.
“The majority of wildfire activity remains concentrated in the northeast region of the province, where 99 per cent of the total area burned so far this season has occurred,” it continued.
The number of evacuees in Alberta stands at 14,046, according to an update posted on the Alberta government site on Monday, which noted that Alberta currently has approximately 2,700 personnel working on wildfires.
“This includes support from partner agencies across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the Canadian Armed Forces,” the Alberta government said in the statement.
In a statement posted on her Twitter page on Monday, Anita Anand, the MP for Oakville and the Minister of National Defense, said “communities across Canada are suffering from these serious wildfires”.
“We’re working closely with provinces to address these fires - and hundreds of Canadian Forces members are deployed right now to help fight them,” Anand added in the statement.
In a statement posted on its website back in May, the Alberta government announced that the Canadian Armed Forces had begun to move out to support Alberta “as the province battles unprecedented wildfires”.
“Albertans will see this movement by vehicle on roads and in the air, as some forces and equipment will be moved by Royal Canadian Air Force fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters,” the Alberta government said in the statement.
In addition to TC Energy, several Canadian energy companies have reacted to the wildfires in Canada, including Canadian Natural Resources Limited, Cenovus Energy, Crescent Point Energy, Vermilion Energy, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, and Pipestone Energy Corp.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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