Wildfire risk remains high as flames trigger evacuation orders across Alberta
Hot, windy conditions saw fires flare across Alberta Tuesday
Wildfires that flared up across northern Alberta on Tuesday afternoon have those communities threatened by flames bracing for another parched, windy day.
Fires burning across the region triggered have a string of emergency alerts and evacuation orders as the risk escalated for regions north, east and west of Edmonton.
The fires, fanned by blowing winds, grew rapidly throughout the evening, pushing a new wave of evacuees to emergency reception centres at community halls and hockey rinks.
Northeast of Edmonton, fires burning through forest and farmland have forced people and livestock to flee the flames. In northern Alberta, the village of Boyle is under threat after a fire moving in from the south tripled in size overnight.
The wildfire danger across much of Alberta is extreme and is expected to remain that way in much of the province where forests and farmland remain rain-starved and tinder-dry.
In an interview Tuesday, Kai Bowering, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire, said hot, dry and windy conditions are expected persist throughout the week, escalating the danger.
"The risk is going to continue to be high," Bowering said. "A wildfire can start very easily and spread quickly under these conditions."
According to Alberta's fire forecast, known as the fire weather index, the fire danger in much of the province is rated as very high to extreme, with some of the most severe areas found in central and northern Alberta.
The index measures environmental conditions and predicts how a fire will behave and how much damage it could do.
Thorhild County and Sturgeon County
During a news conference Wednesday, Chad Moore, fire chief in Sturgeon County, said crews battling a fire near the community of Redwater, Alta., are bracing for shifting winds from the south that will bring intense fire activity and billowing smoke to the frontline.
He said crews will be focused on holding the line and planning their escape routes in the case the flames again escape their bounds.
The fire, which started in Redwater Provincial Recreation Area on Saturday, continues to grow, triggering evacuation orders for homes northeast of the town, about 65 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
Sturgeon County officials have warned nearby residents that they too should be ready for a possible evacuation.
Moore said crews worked through the night in the face of extreme fire behaviour. As winds grew fierce, the fire breached all boundaries that crews had constructed in an attempt to keep it contained.
"We had to pull back and protect homes and property as that fire advanced," he said.
"Crews worked through the night continuing to protect those properties."
Moore said low humidity, high temperatures and blowing winds made the situation volatile in what he called a "red flag warning day."
The fire was so fierce that embers were flying up to a mile or two ahead of the fire, overwhelming crews and forcing them to pull back and focus on securing properties, Moore said.
He said crews were overwhelmed as the flames spread through forest and farmland. After nightfall, near the Thorhild County border, they were able to finally hold the line.
The fire has now burned more than 2,000 hectares. He said crews will be going out Wednesday to assess the damage.
He said more than 40 homes have now been evacuated and about 70 people have registered as evacuees.
The threat of fire also triggered new evacuation orders Tuesday as Thorhild County issued a state of local emergency.
On Wednesday night, the evacuation order was extended for residents located from Township Road 580 south to the North Saskatchewan River between Range Road 213 east to Range Road 203. Evacuees have been told be prepared to be away from their homes for three days.
Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw expressed her gratitude to firefighters during Wednesday's news conference.
"It's been a tireless fight against some really difficult conditions," she said. "And certainly, there's been devastation that we know will last generations."
With communities across Alberta under threat, she urged residents to do everything in their power to avoid sparking new fires. She said the community is holding its breath and hoping for a change in the weather.
"We need rain and the wind to stop."
Athabasca County fire threatens village of Boyle
A wildfire threatening the village of Boyle, about 150 kilometres north of Edmonton, and parts of Athabasca County,
From Tuesday night, the fire had tripled in size, growing to 1,000 hectares as of Wednesday afternoon.
But the county said in a Facebook post crews have made "tremendous progress."
"After minimal growth this afternoon, no further spread is expected overnight, as the entire fire line is now contained," the post read.
Crews have also investigated the area and found no homes were impacted by the fire, but some outbuildings have been damaged or destroyed.
The evacuation remains in effect and crews will continue to fight the fire overnight.
About 800 residents were ordered to leave late Tuesday night as emergency officials warned that a wildfire was burning about 1.6 kilometres south of the village and moving north.
Athabasca County declared a state of local emergency as evacuation orders were issued.
It's unclear how far the flames are from the village but county officials warned on Wednesday that the fire had grown closer overnight.
In a statement Wednesday, they said crews worked through the night and more resources have been requested to assist.
There are also 268 homes in the area without power, according to FortisAlberta's outage map. As of 3 p.m. there were 23 power poles that were damaged due to the fire and needed to be replaced.
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