800 residents of Alberta village allowed home as crews hold the line on nearby wildfire

Evacuation orders were lifted Thursday morning for some people affected by wildfires in central Alberta, including more than 800 residents of the village of Boyle, Alta. 

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, evacuation orders were lifted for the Village of Boyle and parts of surrounding Athabasca County, two days after residents were told to leave as a wildfire moved in from the south.  

While residents of the village,  about 150 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, were cleared to return, that is not the case for all residents of Athabasca County, municipal officials said a statement.

Residents on Township Road 642 and Range Road 195 are permitted to return home, but those living on Highway 831 south of Boyle are still under an evacuation order.

Cooler weather helping 

Since Saturday, wildfires in central and northern Alberta have triggered a string of shifting evacuation orders and emergency alerts

Thanks to a change in the weather Thursday, firefighters in some communities have begun to gain the upper hand, said Derrick Forsythe, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire.

Crews will be "making hay" today, he said.

"Anytime we get cooler temperatures and overcast conditions like this, as long as the winds aren't too bad out there, then these are really good conditions for us to make some positive progress on fighting the wildfires," Forsythe said.

"They're going to get some good work done in conditions like this." 

Forsythe said a cold front moving across Alberta brought a smattering of rain to some regions but not enough to ease dry conditions had make the spring season so challenging for wildland firefighters.

"What we need is real Maritime soaking of a rainfall as opposed to the Alberta clippers that seem to blow through," he said. 

"From the time that snow leaves the landscape until everything turns green is, in a lot of ways, the most volatile time we have for wildfires. There's just so much dead and dry, fine fuels that are on the ground that can ignite so easily." 

Residents returning to Boyle have been advised that some basic services may be interrupted and are encouraged to have basic goods and items on hand before returning home. 

Power was interrupted to some properties for about 24 hours, so returning evacuees are also encouraged to check on appliances like fridges and freezers for spoiled food.

The wildfire that continues to burn about 1.6 kilometre south Boyle is being held, officials said, and hot spots are being doused by crews.

The fire, which started in a swampy area south of the village and expanded quickly in the high winds and dry conditions, has burned more than 1,000 hectares.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, Highway 831 south of Boyle remains closed.

Thorhild County, Redwater fires

In Thorhild County, about 90 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, officials have rescinded evacuation orders for homes on Range Roads 211 to 244 and Township Roads 580 to 584.

Thorhild County said residents can return home but noted that an evacuation alert remains in effect and people must be prepared to leave within an hour if conditions worsen. 

The alert remains in effect for everyone in southeast Thorhild County between the Correction Line and the boundary of Sturgeon County.

Just before midnight Wednesday, Sturgeon County expanded its evacuation zone and ordered more residents to leave. That county is affected by the out-of-control wildfire burning near Redwater, Alta., about 60 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

The expanded order includes a large swath of rural properties on range roads stretching from east of Redwater to the northwest edge of the North Saskatchewan River. In a statement Thursday, county officials say all residents were safely evacuated overnight.

Redwater's 2,000 residents have not been ordered to evacuate but have been told to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. 

The wildfire began Saturday at the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area, sparked by an ATV that caught fire within the park boundary. 

In a news release Thursday afternoon, Sturgeon County said the size of the wildfire has doubled since Wednesday and now covers 3,000 hectares of forest and farmland and destroyed at least one home.

The news release said the likelihood of further fire spread continues, as windy conditions in the area are forecasted into Friday.