A wildfire has flared up west of Edmonton in Yellowhead County, prompting a critical Alberta Emergency Alert to be issued and residents told to evacuate immediately.
A spokesperson for Alberta Wildfire said the blaze is located about nine kilometres northwest of Evansburg, north of Highway 16, and is currently moving south.
At 4 p.m., the out-of-control wildfire was 40 hectares in size. By 7 p.m., Alberta Wildfire said it had grown to 75 hectares. An hour later, the provincial status map showed it had grown even further to 125 hectares. Just after 10:30 p.m., Alberta Wildfire said it had grown to 143 hectares.
There are 32 firefighters, four helicopters, six airtankers and 11 pieces of heavy equipment currently fighting the wildfire, the province said.
Heather Hawkins, a response officer with Alberta Wildfire, said conditions have created a wildfire risk with a lack of rain in the area recently.
“It’s quite dry,” she said. “When we see high winds and high temperatures, that’s when we become concerned.
“(This fire) grew quite quickly.”
Even though the fire is listed as out-of-control, Hawkins said “crews and air tankers have made great progress.”
The Alberta Emergency Alert said Evansburg and Wildwood-area residents who live along Highway 16, east of Highway 22 up to Highway 16A, are being evacuated.
Residents of the Lobstick Resort Road area are also being evacuated, the alert said.
Just before 10 p.m., the Alberta Emergency Management Agency said a stretch of Highway 16 was closed in both directions from Highway 22 to Wildwood. Highway 22 is also closed in both directions north of Highway 16 near Evansburg, the province said.
Thick plumes of dark smoke could be seen billowing into the sky, and the province said visibility may be reduced in the area because of it.
An evacuation centre is being set up at the Evansburg Arena. The emergency information number for residents is 1-833-334-4630.
George and Norma Hyshka were among the evacuees who drove to Evansburg on Tuesday. Both expressed appreciation for the people at the evacuation centre and said they were told they had to leave their home in the Lobstick Resort by a peace officer.
“We’re just praying to God,” George said, adding that when they left, “the wind was blowing sideways kind of away from our area.”
“We’re just praying nothing happens.”
“It was scary,” Norma said, adding they have lived there for 18 years and had never been forced to leave their home before.
Deb and Ken Keenan also had to leave their home for the first time. They said they could see a huge plume of smoke as they drove to Evansburg but were staying optimistic.
“I’m really putting my faith in the rescue teams and they’re doing a great job,” Deb said.
The fire is in the Edson Forest Area, where a fire advisory is in effect and the wildfire danger is listed as very high.
The mayor of Yellowhead County said he has received offers of help from other municipalities who have personnel “on standby.”
“The fire is fairly close to a few homes,” Jim Eglinski said, adding that he was impressed that firefighters were able to start “hitting the fire quite rapidly.”
“It pulls a community together,” he said of how people in his area reacted to the fire. “We pull together.”
Eglinski said the homes most at risk were having sprinklers placed on them.
He added recent wildfires in the region have had some “people stressed out.”
“People are tense with the dry weather,” Eglinski said. “People are nervous.”
He noted that as of Tuesday night, there had been no reports of injuries or structures lost.
Evansburg is about 90 kilometres west of Edmonton.
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