Officials from Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Wildfire provided a live update on the Alberta wildfire situation on May 14 at 3 p.m.
Watch the news conference here.
—-
Update is as of 10 p.m.
11:19 a.m. – Alberta Emergency Alert. Alberta 511 has cancelled the Hazardous Road Conditions alert.
This alert was in effect for all provincial roadways in Alberta.
Conditions have improved, hazardous driving conditions no longer expected across most parts of the province.
Use caution when driving in areas impacted by wildfires and wildfire operations. Follow the direction of local authorities. Refer to Alberta 511 for latest road conditions and restrictions.
—–
Leduc County has cancelled a wildfire alert as of 9:31 p.m.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, this alert was in effect for everyone from Township Road 504 north to the North Saskatchewan River between Range Road 271 and Range Road 265.
The wildfire is under control and fire crews remain on scene monitoring conditions. The evacuation of the area has been lifted and impacted residents who registered with Leduc County have been notified. Township Road 504 and Range Road 265 and 271 are now open.
No further action is needed and evacuated residents may return to their homes.
——-
The Municipal District (MD) of Greenview has issued a Critical Wildfire Alert and Evacuation Order for Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation as of 2:15 p.m.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, there is an Evacuation Order for all Greenview Residents North of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, south of Township Road 722, between Highway 49 and Range Road 242. This also includes Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.
The Sturgeon Lake wildfire is impacting residents in this area. All residents in this area remain under a mandatory evacuation.
Everyone in this area should evacuate now. Bring pets, important documents, medication and food, water and supplies to be away from your home for 3 days. If you need help evacuating, please call (780) 524-3343. Stay tuned to local media and follow the directions of local authorities. Community members of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation should follow the direction of Chief and Council and their appointed emergency management team members.
According to Alberta Wildfire, Wildfire GWF-017 is located 3 km southeast of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. It is classified as out of control at 3,765 hectares.
According to the MD of Greenview:
“Sturgeon Lake Complex is classified as out of control (OC) and estimated to be 3,765 ha in size. This wildfire is located on both sides of Highway 43. Municipal structural protection along with Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is assisting with this wildfire. Dozer guard construction is progressing and nearly complete. More crews have arrived from Ontario and the USA. Fire weather indicators are predicted to increase in the coming days.
Today, two CL-215T aircraft skimmed water off Sturgeon Lake onto the fire. The CL-215T air tanker is an amphibious, flying boat-type aircraft specifically designed as an air tanker. When firefighting aircraft such as airtankers or helicopters are working on an active wildfire and picking up water from nearby lakes, they need plenty of room to move and do their job safely. Boaters or people using other watercraft who try to get a close-up look at these aircraft present a serious safety risk for air crews and anyone else in the area.
GWF017 – Increased fire behaviour was observed yesterday. This fire advanced a few 100 meters to the SE. Firefighters continue to work hard to contain this wildfire.
GWF023 – This wildfire had very active fire behaviour and jumped the established containment line growing 600 meters to the SE. Firefighters were able to reestablish the line.
Evacuation Alerts/Orders
An Evacuation order remains in place for residents of this area and was updated on May 13, 2023, at 7:46 pm.
There is a mandatory Evacuation Order for everyone on Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, as well as everyone north of the nation and south of Township Road 722, between Highway 49 and Range Road 242.
Evacuation Alert issued on May 14, 2023 at 2:29 pm for the following area: Highway 49 TWP RD 222 South to TWP RD 700, West to RR 230 and North to TWP RD 710 including the Town of Valleyview. The Sturgeon Lake wildfire is currently burning West/North West of Valleyview. Be prepared to evacuate on short notice. No evacuation is required currently. With worsening weather conditions, this fire could force evacuation of the affected area.”
The MD of Greenview has issued an advisory and Evacuation Alert for the Town of Valleyview as of 2:29 p.m.
Evacuation Alert issued for the following area: Highway 49 TWP RD 222 South to TWP RD 700, West to RR 230 and North to TWP RD 710 including the Town of Valleyview.
The Sturgeon Lake wildfire is currently burning West/North West of Valleyview. Be prepared to evacuate on short notice. No evacuation is required currently. With worsening weather conditions, this fire could force evacuation of the affected area.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents and medication, enough food, water and supplies for at least 3 days. This alert will be updated if an evacuation is required. Stay tuned to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, local media for updates.
According to Alberta Wildfire, Wildfire GWF-023 is located approximately 10 km northeast of Valleyview. It is classifies as out of control at 1, 189 hectares.
Alberta Wildfire is responding to the wildfires near Sturgeon Lake and Valleyview with 37 firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment. Heavy equipment operators are working to establish a guard around the perimeter of the fire.
The MD of Greenview Wildfire Alert for the area south of Grovedale remains in effect.
Wildfires continue to burn in the area south of Township Road 690, between Highway 40 and the BC Border. Everyone in this area must remain evacuated. Everyone north of Township Road 690 to the Wapiti River should be prepared to evacuate on short notice.
Pack clothes, food, water, important documents and medication for 3 days. Bring your pets. Evacuate to Grande Prairie. A reception center has been established at the Bonnetts Energy Centre located at 10017 99 Ave in Grande Prairie.
According to the MD of Greenview:
“GWF019 bucketing is being done on fire, and no significant fire growth today. Estimated 12,000ha.
Evacuation Alerts/Orders
Currently, Hamlet of Grovedale residents remain under Evacuation Alert
Notice: Greenview issued an Evacuation Order on May 12, 2023, for all residents located south of Township Road 690, between Highway 40 and the BC Border in the Grovedale area. Everyone north of Township Road 690 to the Wapiti River should be prepared to evacuate on short notice.”
The MD of Greenview Evacuation Order from Fox Creek to Little Smoky remains in effect.
This alert is in effect for Fox Creek to Little Smoky and all areas immediately surrounding these communities.
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 effected 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, Alberta. Evacuees are required to register. For highway closures, check 511. Stay tuned to local media or call 780-524-6584 for assistance. Residents between Township Road 683 and 670 and Range Road 232 and 211 must prepare to evacuate on a 1-hour notice.
According to Alberta Wildfire:
- WWF-023 wildfire is located in the Fox Creek area. It is classified as out of control at 25,000 hectares.
- Alberta Wildfire is responding with firefighters, heavy equipment and helicopters conducting bucketing operations.
According to the MD of Greenview at 9 p.m.:
“WWF023 (Eagle Fire) was first detected by the Eagle Tower Road, 15.7 km northeast of the town of Fox Creek on May 5, and is burning out of control. This fire was re-assessed and is now 30,654 ha in size as there was some fire growth on the northwest side of the fire today. Airtankers continued to work on this fire today. Additional resources are expected to assist on this wildfire tomorrow morning.
Dozers continue building guards to prevent the wildfire from spreading further towards communities. Helicopter crews continue to work on reinforcing containment at the head of the fire.
Helitack crews from Oregon and Cypress Hills as well as a pre-suppression crew from Quebec continue to assist with firefighting efforts. The wildfire is approximately 14 km SE of Little Smoky.
Crews will continue searching for hotspots on an ongoing basis. Structure protection deployment will continue as the situation changes.
The situation remains ever changing and conditions on the fireline will vary due to weather conditions. Wildfires burn very hot and will burn into the ground. Fire behaviour is forecasted to continue increasing into this week. High temperatures and drying conditions are anticipated to continue Monday as an upper ridge builds over the province. Little or no precipitation is expected.
Evacuation Alerts/Orders
An Evacuation Order remains in place for the entire Town of Fox Creek, the Hamlet of Little Smoky and surrounding areas.
An Evacuation Alert remains in place in an area North of the Hamlet of Little Smoky to be prepared to evacuate if necessary.”
“GWF027 – is classified as out of control (OC) and estimated to be 350ha and is located 27 km SW of Little Smoky. This wildfire quickly grew to an active crown fire and had very aggressive fire behaviour even under light winds. Our efforts for tanker drops and bucketing were ineffective and all crews and machines were pulled off this wildfire. We are mobilizing heavy equipment and ground crews as this fire is expected to grow in the coming days.”
“There are multiple wildfires located south of the Little Smoky River, north of the Wild Hay River and east of Hwy 40 north. These also include the areas near the Willow Haul road and the Jack Wright road north of Hinton. These wildfires were formerly reported as five separate fires, but due to more accurate GPS measuring, have been determined to be two larger fires. EWF037 is out of control at 578 ha and EWF040 is out of control at 684 ha.
There is an increase in fire activity observed on the wildfire complex today.
EWF040 displayed active fire behaviour today and airtankers were required. Four firefighters and heavy equipment are assigned to this wildfire.”
According to the Town of Fox Creek at 8:05 p.m.:
“The fire has grown to about 33,000 hectares today.
——
Brazeau County wildfire Evacuation Order remains in effect.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, this alert is in effect for areas in Brazeau County and the Town of Drayton Valley.
An 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. Follow Drayton Valley and Brazeau County social media for most up to date information.
According to Alberta Wildfire:
- 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:
At 10 a.m., “We are pleased to report that due to great work by firefighters yesterday, the Buck Creek Wildfire did not grow despite the hot, dry conditions. Today’s forecast is for similar conditions, but we are encouraged by progress made yesterday and crews will continue working to mitigate the fire danger to our communities. Currently there are 270 people conducting fire operations on the fire line, including crews from the Canadian Armed Forces, our local departments, and ones from across Canada. We are grateful for them and their dedication to keeping our communities safe.
We are working quickly to establish a re-entry plan for when it is safe for everyone to return and critical infrastructure is in place to support residents. These include the hospital, municipal operations, utilities, grocery stores, fuel stations, etc. Our emergency operations staff are working closely with stakeholders to ensure these services are in place as soon as is feasible.
Please continue to follow our social media pages for updates.”
At 11:35 a.m., “AltaLink is just one of many partners we are working with in response to this wildfire. They have been sharing some of the work they have been doing in the area on their social media channels.”
At 12:32 p.m., “We have been pleased to welcome members of the Canadian Armed Forces into the community to help us with our firefighting efforts. Armed Forces members have been assisting us with frontline firefighting efforts for the last several days. Members have been deployed across Alberta to help with the wildfire situation.”
At 2:40 p.m., “As people remain evacuated from their homes there has been some concern from area property owners about the status of their homes as a result of the wildfire.
Local officials have contacted people who have lost their homes to the Buck Creek wildfire. Unless you have received a call to inform you otherwise, we believe your home has not been destroyed by the wildfire.
There are damages to other property types, such as vehicles and non-residential structures (sheds, fences, outbuildings) in various locations. This is something property owners will need to document and report to insurance upon returning to their homes.
At this time, we would also like to remind people to be cautious about the source of information they are receiving and sharing. This is a difficult time for those evacuated and it is important to avoid sharing any information about potential home loss that may cause additional stress.
Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes during the wildfire.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada offers resources relating to insurance for loss or damage to property due to wildfires through its website at http://www.ibc.ca/on/disaster/wildfires
Mental health supports can be accessed by calling 2-1-1, or visiting https://ab.211.ca/. The mental health helpline can be reached at 1-877-303-2642. The Government of Alberta offers additional mental health supports at www.alberta.ca/emergency
At 3:58 p.m., “Evacuees who have lost or left their identification card, drivers license, or birth certificate behind can receive a replacement for no charge until June 29.
Visit a local registry agent (find one here: https://www.alberta.ca/lookup/find-a-registry-agent.aspx , and bring another of ID if you are requesting a birth certificate copy.”
At 5:29 p.m.: “There are “islands” of unburnt fuel within the “black” burned area that are capable of throwing embers and creating spot fires. Dozer guards were placed, however the fire was reported as starting spot fires as far as 600 metres downwind of the head of the fire. Control of this fire is reliant on those skilled workers building and holding the perimeter by quickly and safely managing spot fires that may jump. Self-deploying individuals, or the public ignoring the evacuation order could interfere with the response to these spot fires, and could result in an inability to effectively control the fires early before they have a chance to grow and make a “run”.”
——
Yellowhead County has issued a Wildfire alert for east of Shining Bank Lake at 4:35 p.m.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, The alert is in effect for everyone in the area: North of Township Rd 550, east of Highway 32, South of Township Rd 570 east to Range Rd 130, south to Township Rd 561, and west of Range Rd 120.
There is a wildfire east of Shining Bank Lake. No evacuation is required currently. Changing weather conditions could force an evacuation to the area. Evacuation routes and reception centres will be provided in the event of an evacuation order.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents, medication, food, water, supplies for at least 3 days. This alert will be updated if an evacuation is required. Go to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, local media for updates.
According to Alberta Wildfire, Edson Area Update:
“Recently the weather has been favorable for firefighting efforts, however the forecast is calling for increasing temperatures, high winds, and low relative humidity beginning today into Monday. These conditions are likely to cause elevated wildfire danger and increased wildfire behaviour, which will be challenging to wildfire operations within the Edson Forest Area.
Firefighters, aircraft, and heavy equipment have been working in conjunction with county and municipal firefighting services as aggressively as possible to make progress on these wildfires while the conditions have been favorable. Despite all of this hard work, there are still hundreds of kilometers of uncontained wildfire perimeter and fire behaviour forecasts indicate that there will be growth on many of the wildfires throughout the region.
While we always appreciate people calling in to report wildfires, the large volume of calls we are currently receiving is diverting our resources away from other essential tasks. As always, please still call 310-FIRE if you see smoke or flame that looks new and potentially unreported, but assume that large columns of smoke and burned over areas have already been detected and reported.”
Pembina Wildfire Complex:
Wildfires EWF-031, EWF-039, RWF-034 and RWF-040 are part of the Pembina Wildfire Complex and will be reported together.
- 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. Very minimal growth has been observed since May 7, 2023.
- There are 72 firefighters and support staff being shared between this fire and EWF039. There are 20 pieces of heavy equipment, five helicopters, and three additional helicopters assigned to the complex. An airtanker group was assigned to the fire yesterday. This group is composed of one birddog and five skimmers.
- Crews were focused on operations on the northeast corner yesterday and helicopters worked in conjunction with crews along containment lines. Containment line is established on the northwest tip of the fire.
- Today, crews are utilizing direct attack along the west. Heavy equipment is continuing to create containment lines from the Repsol Lake road working east past Wolf Lake Road. Increased fire behaviour on the eastern side of the wildfire perimeter was observed yesterday, approximately 50 km southeast of Edson, 28 km south of Carrot Creek and 18 km southeast of Minnow Lake.
- Increased smoke and fire behaviour will be common during peak burning and will likely be visible to surrounding communities. A ridge of high pressure will maintain stable conditions through Monday, meaning consistent wind speed and direction will occur. This allows crews to coordinate an operational focus. Light, 10-15km/h south/southeast will continue through Monday. Crossover conditions will still be occurring each day, that means that the humidity will be lower then the temperature, which allows for more severe fire behaviour.
- A cold front will be present early Tuesday morning, causing a rapid wind shift with unpredictable gusts. This shift will change wind direction from the south/southeast to north/northwest. This means the fire will be pushed in the south/southeast direction. Cooler temperatures arrive Tuesday, but crossover conditions will remain. Increased smoke and fire behaviour will increase earlier in the morning than previous days due to lower relative humidity recovery last night and will be common during peak burning times of the day. Increased smoke will be visible to surrounding communities.
- EWF039 located near Carrot Creek, is currently being held. The fire is currently estimated to be 216 ha. The fire is fully wrapped in containment line and is a kilometer away from the Carrot Creek lookout tower. Crews have successfully left the area and will be repositioned on fire EWF031. Personnel are available to respond if necessary.
- Wildfire RWF-034 is located near the O’Chiese Reserve. It is classified as out of control at 67,043 hectares.
- There are 76 firefighters and support staff shared between this fire and RWF040 working on this wildfire along with helicopters and heavy equipment. There are three helicopters assigned to the fire and three additional helicopters assigned to the complex. In addition, there are 20 pieces of heavy equipment. Crews are continuing mop up and hotspotting near and within the O’Chiese Reserve.
- Wildfire RWF-040 is located 6 km northeast pf the Forestry Truck Road and Brown Creek Provincial Recreational Area. It is classified as out of control at 2,200 hectares.
There are 113 firefighters, heavy equipment and five helicopters assigned to the complex.
Deep Creek Complex:
Wildfires EWF-035, WCU-001 and WCU-002 are part of the Deep Creek Complex and will be reported together.
- Wildfires WCU-001 and WCU-002 are in the area of Evansburg, Entwistle, Wildwood, Lobstick and Hansonville. They are classified as out of control 7,281 hectares (WCU001) and 2,401 hectares (WCU002).
- Crews will continue to work north of Wildwood and east along Highway 16 extinguishing hotspots burning in deep peat. Wildfire intensity will pick-up this afternoon as temperatures and windy conditions persist. Highway 16 will experience smoke from the still active wildfire zone due to the hotspots near the highway. There will be smoke north of Wildwood as crews work to extinguish a major hotspot area.
- We have aircraft monitoring these flare-ups from above and they will report back to the ground crews to ensure that they stay within the already burned-out area to prevent spread. Many of the fuels that are burning off in the wildfire interior area are green trees within the burnt over zone that didn’t initially burn. Airtankers are available as requested. Alberta Wildfire is assisting Parkland County and Yellowhead County with this wildfire.
- Smoke will be visible to residents in the area and it is from the interior of the fire. These areas of unburnt fuel are surrounded by burned out areas and are within the perimeter boundary. Smoke will linger along Highway 16 as crews work to extinguish hotspots. The wildfire has stayed south of Township Road 550 and east of Range Road 92 and west of Range Road 75. Alberta Wildfire and Yellowhead County are actioning this wildfire.
- Wildfire EWF-035 is located 3 km southeast of Shining Bank and is classified as out of control at 5,332 hectares.
- There are crews and heavy equipment allocated to the wildfire and they’re working to establish containment lines to prevent further spread into rural properties. Today groups of heavy equipment will continue working on the southeast side of the perimeter to create a fire break. Crews and helicopters will work to extinguish larger hotspots on the north boundary line today to help prevent spread and extinguish flare-ups as they will continue to react to the hot and windy conditions expected this afternoon. Aircraft will continue to report heightened wildfire activity areas to the ground and resources will work on those priority areas.
- Structure Protection crews from Yellowhead County has expanded their structure protection to more residents in the area, Woodlands County and the Whitecourt Fire Department have also installed sprinkler protection on houses in the immediate area of EWF-035 and will continue to monitor the situation as it continues. Woodlands County has strategically placed staff for night watch on EWF-035 to monitor for fire activity after dark. Alberta Wildfire is assisting Yellowhead County and Woodlands County with this wildfire.
There are 51 firefighters, heavy equipment and nine helicopters working on this complex.
“A FIRE BAN and OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RESTRICTION is in effect for the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Edson Forest Area.
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.
Smoke will be heavy this morning in the areas of Wildwood, Lobstick, Hansonville, Evansburg and Entwistle. Lingering smoke will be seen along highway 16 and highway 22 and in affected communities. A smoke inversion happens when cooler air is trapped near the ground by a layer of warmer air above it and the inversion will keep smoke close the ground level. Smoke inversions can cause dangerous driving conditions and impact nearby communities.”
——
Woodlands County has issued a Wildfire Alert for a southern portion of Woodlands County at 9:29 a.m.
There is a wildfire south of Township Road 570, west of RR 123, north of Twp Rd 560 and east of Shining Bank.
This alert is in effect for everyone in the area:
- North of Township Rd 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
No evacuation is required currently. With worsening weather conditions, this fire could force evacuation of the affected area.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents and medication, enough food, water and supplies for at least 3 days. This alert will be updated if an evacuation is required. Stay tuned to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, local media for updates.
According to Alberta Wildfire, Whitecourt Area Update:
“Do not fly drones near wildfires.
As a result of the current weather conditions, the wildfire danger for the Whitecourt Forest Area has been amended and is listed as EXTREME.
Use caution when recreating or working in areas of dry grass as a wildfire will ignite easily and spread quickly. If you see smoke or flame in the forest call 310-FIRE(3473).”
According to Woodlands County:
“Evacuation ALERT Remains in Place: EWF035 – Shining Bank Fire
Every 24 hours, the Alerta Emergency Alert (AEA) requires an update; thankfully, the update is only to extend the time another 24 hours.
Want to receive AEA advisory notifications on your phone? Download the app, go to “Settings,” and select the areas you want to receive advisory notices.
Critical alerts will be pushed through all phones, radio, and TV in the given area.
𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁
Apple Download – https://apps.apple.com/…/alberta-emergency…/id887604348
Google Play Download – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details…
@Alberta Wildfire is working hard and we are grateful for their diligence and expertise.
REPORT suspected fires you do not see on the https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status.aspx map to 310-FIRE.”
——
In Parkland County:
According to the County at 4:33 p.m.:
“Range Road 70 – Crews continue working to manage hot spots, maintain the fire perimeter and prevent any spread. Our fire team is actioning deep areas of dried peat moss that are extremely hot and difficult to extinguish.
Range Road 270 (Leduc County fire) – This fire is contained and not currently a threat to Parkland County.
Residents are reminded to please remain on alert as hot, dry conditions continue.”
