UPDATED at 4:33 p.m., May 12, 2023:
Woodlands County has issued a Wildfire Alert for a southern portion of Woodlands County.
There is a wildfire south of Township Road 570, west of RR 123, north of Twp Rd 560 and east of Shining Bank.
The alert is in effect for everyone in the area:
- North of Township Road 561, west of Range Road 120
- South of Groat Creek Road, Twp Rd 584
- West of the McLeod River to RR 144
- East of the McLeod River to RR 123 at Whitecourt Mountain
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 12, 2023:
- Wildfire EWF-035 is located 3 km southeast of Shining Bank and is classified as out of control at 5,332 hectares.
No evacuation is required currently. With worsening weather conditions, this fire could force evacuation of the affected area. An updated alert will be issued if an evacuation is required.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents, medication and enough food, water, and supplies for at least three days. Learn more about emergency preparedness at http://alberta.ca/BePrepared.
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The Municipal District of Greenview has issued an Evacuation Order for Fox Creek to Little Smoky and all areas immediately surrounding these communities.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, there is a wildfire that is forcing the evacuation of the entire Town of Fox Creek, Hamlet of Little Smoky and surrounding areas. If you are in the affected area, evacuate immediately. Everyone in Fox Creek to Little Smoky and all areas immediately surrounding the area must evacuate to Whitecourt on Highway 43.
A reception centre is located at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre, 58 Sunset Blvd. Whitecourt. Evacuees are required to register.
The MD says All Greenview residents who are required to evacuate can register at the Green View FCSS Community Resource Centre at 4707-50 Street in Valleyview.
In person services are available during regular office hours – or by calling 780-524-7603 after hours or on weekends from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm.
Residents between Township Road 683 and 670 and Range Road 232 and 211 must prepare to evacuate on a 1-hour notice.
For highway closures, check 511. Stay tuned to local media or call 780-524-6584 for assistance.
In the Municipal District of Greenview:
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 12, 2023:
- This wildfire is located in the Fox Creek area. It is classified as out of control at 21,568 hectares.
- Alberta Wildfire is responding with firefighters, heavy equipment and helicopters conducting bucketing operations.
According to the MD of Greenview on May 12, 2023:
“Greenview filmed a video update for residents of Little Smoky and surrounding areas with CAO Stacey Wabick, Regional Fire Chief Wayne Brown and RCMP Sergeant Chris Power today at 11:00 am to discuss the wildfire affecting the Hamlet of Little Smoky.
Please click on the video link below to view the update. https://youtu.be/ZWiFnbOtj5o
Greenview’s Regional Fire-Rescue teams remain busy assisting Forestry with multiple fires burning within the municipality.
Crews continue to strengthen containment lines to prevent the wildfire from spreading further toward Fox Creek and Little Smoky communities. The head of the fire remains approximately 2 km east of Highway 43.
Alberta Wildfire has helicopters, dozers, a helicopter attack and a fire attack crew working to contain this fire. Helitac crews from Oregon and Cypress Hills have arrived, along with a pre-supression crew from Quebec have arrived to assist with efforts on this wildfire.
According to the Town of Fox Creek:
May 12, 7:20 am:
“The Fox Creek fire department and AB Wildfire, tactical, air and ground crews are prepared for the fire to grow significantly today. Reinforcements, additional air support, and various imported personnel have arrived. We anticipate more to come.
Units will patrol the fire perimeter on foot and focus on extinguishing hot-spots and flare-ups. If weather and conditions allow, you can anticipate the creation of new and fortification of existing containment guards.
Two newly installed air monitoring units, one in Whitecourt and one in Fox Creek, will bolster the networks ability to keep track of air quality for us.
A solid police presence consistently patrols the community and monitors the entrances.
Coordinating this large scale offence, procuring supplies, water, equipment, fuel, preparing meals for 110 (yesterday), responding to phones, messages and email inquiries, is a massive task. It is busy here.
Little Smoky and surrounding area is now on mandatory evacuation alert. New evacuees will very likely be joining you at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre soon.”
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Brazeau County has issued an Evacuation Order for areas in Brazeau County and the Town of Drayton Valley.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, the evacuation order remains in effect for residents in the following area:
- From Township 480 north to Township 494 and Range Road 64 west to Range Road 90. This includes the entire community of Drayton Valley.
- Township Road 480 north to Highway 621 between Range Road 90 and Range Road 110, including Cynthia prepare to evacuate on 30 minute notice.
- From Highway 39 North on the east side of the North Saskatchewan River is NOT part of the evacuation order.
Impacted residents may evacuate to Edmonton. Register at the Expo Center, at 7515 118 Ave at Hall C. If you need help evacuating, call 780-542-7777.
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 12, 2023:
- Wildfire RCU-005 is 2 km from the south edge of Drayton Valley. It is classified as out of control at 4,959 hectares.
- Alberta Wildfire has sent firefighters and helicopters to assist Brazeau County with this wildfire.
According to Brazeau County:
“Today will be another full day of fire operations, with more than 125 firefighters working within the fire perimeter to address hotspots in preparation for the hot and dry conditions expected this weekend. These conditions are favourable for an increase in fire activity. Resources on the ground will be supported by four helicopters bucketing this afternoon.
The military personnel assisting with operations have successfully integrated into fire crews, and additional personnel will arrive this weekend to provide more support. This weekend’s weather will determine if current fire status improves or worsens, which will in turn determine re-entry timelines. Re-entry planning is underway for when conditions allow.
We know many people are anxious about a timeline for the lifting of the evacuation order. Residents should expect to be out of their homes for at least another week.
Due to the great work of the fire crews all week, both in the air and on the ground, taking advantage of the favourable firefighting weather, progress has been made on over 40 kilometres of dozer guard around the fire. This containment strategy is important for this almost 5,000 hectare fire. Specialized crews are actively addressing priority hot spots.
The forecast is calling for hot, dry temperatures and increased winds in the next few days and this will determine how well the fire guards in place will hold.
If you are a qualified firefighter with the appropriate certification or have equipment to offer to emergency response to this fire or other provincial emergencies, please e-mail your contact information and details to emergencysupportoffers@gov.ab.ca.
We want to make it clear to residents who are evacuated that we cannot consider re-entry at this time. The wildfire situation remains too volatile, and while progress is being made on restoring critical infrastructure, services are not yet in place to support our residents coming back to the community.
Once the incident is stabilized there are still a list of community lifelines including utilities, waste management, hospital, grocery stores, pharmacies, and emergency services functions to restore before people can return to the community.
Returning evacuees to our community has been a priority since this wildfire started and plans to achieve that have been ongoing. But we cannot consider bringing people back until our wildfire experts have determined it is safe to do so.
The situation is continually be assessed to determine the timing of a safe re-entry. We know this is not the news that community residents and businesses want to hear; however, re-entry must be done right in order to be successful and safe for everyone. We hear your frustration: all of the staff, crews, and volunteers responding to this emergency are working very hard to get you home as quickly as possible. We know people are anxious, tired, and want to go home. Our crews are working around the clock to make this happen.
We want to remind people that information about resources is available at the Edmonton EXPO Centre (located at 7515 118 Ave NW, Edmonton). A provincial number has been set up for those who remain evacuated and need assistance. People can call 310-4455.
Information on the Province’s payments for evacuees can be found online at https://www.alberta.ca/emergency.
A reminder that there is a Total Fire Ban for the area of Brazeau County and the Town of Drayton Valley.
A total fire ban occurs when the fire hazard in the area is very high. NO OUTDOOR BURNING IS PERMITTED.
- Existing fire permits will be cancelled
- No new fire permits will be issued until Total Fire Ban is Lifted
- No wood campfires in approved fire pits
Allowed:
- Portable propane fire pits
- Gas or propane stoves and barbecues
- Catalytic or infrared-style heater
Drayton Valley Enforcement Services has been leading the response within the Town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County and have been working with teams of Peace Officers, Bylaw Officers, veterinarians, and locksmiths to be able to care for your animals within the evacuated areas of the Town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County.
“We are continuing to ensure animals are being cared for and are attempting to reunite owners with their pets. So far, we have cared for 378 animals and have been able to help reunite 155 animals,” explains Cody Rossing, Peace Officer with the Town of Drayton Valley. “It’s been another very successful day for our teams, and I am very proud of what they are doing in our community.”
Currently, officers are assisting from the Town of Drayton Valley, the City of Red Deer, the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Town of Stony Plain, Lacombe County, and the Alberta SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Further, if you have registered your animals, officers attempting to call you may be calling from a private number. It is important that during these times, you are answering your calls to expedite this process. In addition, we recommend that you begin the process of determining a suitable location to house your animal(s) once you are reunited, as they can’t remain in place.”
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Yellowhead County still has a Wildfire Alert for northwest, west, and southwest of Brazeau Dam.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, the wildfire is located southwest of Brazeau Dam, west of the Brazeau River. The evacuation area is bounded by Elk River Road on the north, the Brazeau Reservoir on the east, just past Brazeau River on the south, and RR 145 on the west.
This is an evacuation zone. This wildfire primarily affects oil and gas industry, but anyone within the area must evacuate. Go to Yellowhead County’s Facebook or www.yhcounty.ca for updates. The evacuation routes are north on Wolf Lake Road, west on Elk River Road or east on Elk River Road to Highway 620.
Follow the directions of local authorities. Anyone who needs more information can call 1-833-334-4630.
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 12, 2023:
- Wildfires WCU-001 and WCU-002 are in the area of Evansburg, Entwistle, Wildwood, Lobstick and Hansonville. They are classified as out of control 7,254 hectares (WCU001) and 2,401 hectares (WCU002).
- Wildfire EWF-031 is located 25 km west of Lodgepole, 20 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 14 km southeast of Edson. It is still classified as out of control at 82,666 hectares.
According to Yellowhead County:
“Alberta and B.C. Wildfire Crews from the Structure Protection Unit will be doing Structure Protection Assessment in the following areas around Edson: from Ansell Tower Road East to River Ridge Estates and from the southern town limits of Edson to the McLeod River.
They will be marking the area with ribbons. Please do not remove any of the ribbons, it is important that these stay in place.
Please be aware of the equipment and crews in the area and let them do their work safely. This is for the benefit and protection of your properties and structures and we thank you all for your assistance.
Also, if you’re in the sky, we can’t fly. Please DO NOT fly drones in an area of active Wildfire.
Drones halt air operations and we will have to wait for the airspace to be clear. Drones can endanger our aircraft and crews that are needed to work on the wildfire. The use of recreational drones over wildfires in Alberta is dangerous, illegal and could result in a fine of up to $15,000* for putting aircraft and people at risk.
Please give Alberta firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. Please DO NOT fly drones in the area!”
Learn more at:
https://tc.canada.ca/…/flying-your-drone-safely-legally
https://tc.canada.ca/…/DRONES_INFOGRAPHICS_Forest_Fires…
According to the Town of Edson:
“An Emergency Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) meeting was held at noon today and the State of Local Emergency has been renewed for the Town of Edson to continue to allow us to manage the wildfire incident in the best way possible.
The Town of Edson’s Emergency Coordination Centre is still in operation as well, receiving updates from Alberta Wildfire and other agencies, as well as preparing to deal with the situation if conditions deteriorate.
The State of Local Emergency extension lasts for 7 days unless terminated or renewed.
Another EMAC meeting is planned for Tuesday at 5pm, prior to Tuesday’s 7pm regular meeting of Council.
Video of the Meeting can be found here – https://youtube.com/live/5Lm62fno2iM
Renewal Document – https://www.edson.ca/public/download/files/229685
With the current fire situation in the province, we continue to ask residents to prepare in case of further emergency actions. One thing you can do to help protect your property is to think about Firesmarting your yard.
The purpose of Firesmarting is to clear combustibles from around your home, and to reduce fire fuels in the surrounding area to help slow any spread of wildfire.
See the attached information or visit https://www.alberta.ca/firesmart.aspx for tips.
To help clear some of this material, the Edson landfill will be accepting Firesmart materials (trees and branches only).
Yellowhead County is also setting up alternative sites for trees and branches to be dropped off. More details will be forthcoming on the Yellowhead County website and social media. Please note that all Construction and Demolition materials from Town and County residents must go to Hinton at this time.
Other measures currently in place to reduce the risk of wildfires, and to maintain water supply are as follows:
- Town of Edson – Water Ban. The water ban remains in effect for the Town of Edson. That means all outdoor water use is prohibited, bulk water hauling is suspended, grass watering is not allowed, spray park is closed, and all water conservation measures remain in place until further notice. There have been rumours of a ban on mowing but that is not the case.
- Town of Edson – Fire Ban. This FIRE BAN affects ALL BURNING, including cooking/warming fires (backyard fire pits and campground fire pits), and other open burning such as brush pile fires. This Fire Ban also includes, charcoal briquettes, deep fryers (e.g. turkey fryers), tiki torches and wood fires in outdoor recreation facilities such as group campsites, gazebos, tee pees, and wood burning stoves inside tent-like structures. Additionally, Fireworks discharges are NOT ALLOWED. Propane or Natural Gas BBQs, and wood pellet smokers are allowed. Ensure that your propane or natural gas appliance is shut down after use.
- Yellowhead County – Fire Ban. All current permits are cancelled and no fires are permitted. This includes campfires and cooking fires. No new permits will be issued until further notice. This area is independent of the Edson Forest Area which is managed by Alberta Wildfire and covers the remaining area in Yellowhead County.
- Edson Forest Protection Area – Fire ban and OHV Restriction. A fire ban and OHV restriction is in effect within the Forest Protection Area due to extreme fire danger. Under this fire ban all existing Fire Permits are suspended (or cancelled) and no new Fire Permits will be issued. The recreational use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) on public lands, including designated OHV trails is prohibited. Essential industry-related activities requiring the use of OHVs and Off-highway vehicle use on private lands is still permitted.”
According to AHS on May 12, 2023:
“The Edson Healthcare Centre emergency department remains open. Inpatient admissions are temporarily paused. EMS remains available to the community and will transport patients to nearby facilities as needed.
Today, we resumed hemodialysis treatment services at Edson Healthcare Centre. All dialysis clients have been contacted and notified by Alberta Kidney Care North. Hemodialysis clients who remain evacuated from the community continue to be accommodated at other facilities.
AHS Home Care staff have resumed services and are available in the community to support client care needs.
We are also working towards resuming Public Health, Addiction and Mental Health, and outpatient laboratory and Diagnostic Imaging services next week. Clients will be contacted directly by AHS to be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Patients and residents, who were relocated, along with their families, will be notified when arrangements are in place for their safe return. To ensure the comfort and safety of the patients and residents, they will continue to be cared for in their new healthcare facilities. Our priority is to bring our residents home as quickly and safely as possible, but it will take time depending on the wildfire situation in Edson, and each individual’s care needs and modes of transportation.
AHS has been reaching out to families and loved ones of the evacuated inpatients and residents with information. If you have not been contacted, please reach out to HealthLink at 811 (patients) or Continuing Care Access at 1-855-371-4122 (residents).
We will continue to keep you updated with plans for the Edson Healthcare Centre. AHS provides wildfire resources for Albertans at AHS.ca/wildfire , including mental health, air quality, and emergency planning links.”
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In Parkland County:
May 12, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.:
“Our firefighters continue to work tirelessly to fight the Range Road 70 Fire, however our crews are stretched thin and we continue to ask the Province for additional resources to defeat this wildfire and protect our communities.
We would like to remind residents in the Entwistle area to remain on alert and be ready for possible evacuation if conditions warrant, as your safety remains our primary concern. The State of Local Emergency remains in effect, as does the Provincial State of Emergency.
You can stay prepared by:
- Having a bag ready to go (full of essential items like important documents, medication, food and water)
- Watch/listen for Alberta Emergency Alerts
- Ensure your vehicle has fuel
Hot spots are smouldering areas with heat and smoke but no flame. If you have concerns about a hot spot in the area, please call Fire Services at 780-968-8338. If you or your property are threatened, immediately call 9-1-1.
We understand that this can be a difficult time for everyone. Mental health supports are available for our residents. Please call 2-1-1 or contact Parkland County’s FCSS at 780-968-8342 to access counselling supports.
The Entwistle Community Recreation Centre is open today until 4:30 p.m. with support and information available.
Despite having some rain over this past week, temperatures are on the rise for the coming weekend and a full fire ban remains in place throughout the Tri-Region.
This means:
- Absolutely NO burning
- No recreational ATV/UTV use
www.parklandcounty.com/FireHazard
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In Lac Ste. Anne County, MANNED ENTRIES AND WELCOME CENTRE REMOVED at LESSARD LAKE ESTATES.
According to Lac Ste. Anne County:
“As of May 13, at 8:00 am, the manned entries and welcome centre will be removed from Lessard Lake Estates.
We understand that this has been a difficult and uncertain time for our community, and we thank you for your patience and cooperation during the restricted re-entry.
Our enforcement officers will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of our community.
Also, a COMPLETE BAN on RECREATIONAL ATV/UTV USE remains in effect within Lac Ste. Anne County due to EXTREME fire risk. This Ban will remain in effect until further notice.
This ban includes all off-road vehicles such as quads and dirt bikes.
Please note: required agricultural and industrial operator ATV/UTV use is exempt from this Ban; however, extreme caution and continuous monitoring are advised.
FOR RESIDENTS IMPACTED BY THE LOCAL WILDFIRE EVENTS:
If you haven’t talked to your insurance company/broker – please reach out and get your claim started as soon as possible.
If you need help identifying who your insurance company is, contact the Insurance Bureau of Canada: toll free: 1-844-227-5422 (1-844-2ask-IBC) or email: askibcwest@ibc.ca.”
