Local risks

Wildfire and smoke

The treed lots and narrow roads around the lake make wildfire one of our most serious risks. Smoke from fires hundreds of kilometres away can also cause poor air quality for days at a time.

• FireSmart your property: clear dry leaves, needles and firewood within 10 metres of buildings, clean gutters, and keep grass short.
• Check fire bans and fire advisories before burning anything, including in fire pits.
• When smoke is heavy, stay indoors with windows closed. Run a portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter if you have one, and check the Air Quality Health Index.
• Keep your fuel tank at least half full through wildfire season.

Resources: Alberta wildfire status · Fire bans · FireSmart Canada · Air Quality Health Index

Severe summer storms, tornadoes and waterspouts

Thunderstorms build quickly over central Alberta, bringing hail, damaging winds, heavy rain and lightning. Funnel clouds and waterspouts have been seen over Pigeon Lake.

• Check the forecast before heading out on the lake, and get off the water at the first sign of a storm. If you hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck.
• When a tornado warning is issued, go to the basement or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows.
• Trailers, RVs and vehicles give little protection from a tornado. If there is no sturdy building nearby, lie flat in a ditch or low area and cover your head.
• Secure or bring in patio furniture, boats and docks when strong winds are forecast.

Resources: Environment Canada weather alerts · WeatherCAN app

Winter storms and extreme cold

• Blizzards can close rural roads for a day or more. Stock enough supplies to stay home, and keep a vehicle kit in your car.
• Never run a generator, barbecue or camp stove indoors or in a garage. Carbon monoxide kills. Make sure you have a working CO alarm.
• Check on neighbours who live alone, and plan how to keep pipes from freezing if the heat goes off.

Extreme heat

• Drink plenty of water, limit activity in the hottest part of the day, and find a cool place to spend a few hours.
• Check on older adults, young children and anyone with health conditions.
• Never leave people or pets in a parked vehicle.

Power outages

Storms, wildfire and ice can cut power for hours or days. Properties on wells and cisterns also lose running water when pumps stop.

• Keep flashlights, batteries and a battery or crank radio handy. Avoid using candles.
• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed. A full freezer stays frozen about 48 hours.
• If you rely on powered medical equipment, have a backup plan and tell your power provider.
• Use generators outdoors only, well away from doors and windows, and never connect one directly to your home's wiring without a proper transfer switch.
• Stay at least 10 metres away from downed power lines, and report them.

On the lake: water and ice safety

• Wear a lifejacket. Most boating drownings involve people who weren't wearing one.
• Lake conditions can change quickly with the wind. Tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back.
• Ice thickness varies across Pigeon Lake, especially near inlets, pressure ridges and docks. Check it before you go out, and never drive onto ice that hasn't been measured.
• If someone falls through the ice, call 9-1-1. Don't go out after them. Reach, throw or row from a safe position.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)

In late summer, Pigeon Lake regularly has blue-green algae blooms that can produce toxins harmful to people and animals. When Alberta Health Services issues an advisory:

• Don't swim or wade where a bloom is visible, and wash with clean tap water after contact.
• Don't drink or cook with lake water. Boiling does not remove the toxins.
• Keep pets and livestock out of the water and away from shoreline scum.
• Don't eat whole fish or fish trimmings. Fillets are lower in toxins.

Resources: AHS active health advisories · Pigeon Lake Watershed Association

Dangerous goods and road incidents

Fuel, propane and agricultural chemicals travel on the highways and rural roads around the lake. If there is a spill or gas release, you may be told to shelter in place or to evacuate. Move upwind and uphill from any spill or smell, and follow the instructions you are given.

Heavy rain and overland flooding

• Never drive or walk through moving water. Just 15 cm can knock you off your feet, and 60 cm can float a vehicle.
• Keep drainage around your buildings clear, and store valuables off basement floors.
• Check whether your insurance covers overland flooding and sewer backup. Many policies don't by default.