As of the afternoon of May 12, Woodlands County reports one residence has been lost to a wildfire burning south of Highway 43, near the West Ridge Subdivision.
Wildfire WWF017 was identified and classified as out of control on Monday, May 11, prompting an evacuation order for an area south of the highway, between the subdivision and Range Road 111A to the east. This is 5-10 minutes southeast of the town of Whitecourt.
That evacuation order remains in effect. Woodlands County Reeve Dave Kusch says re-entry to the community depends entirely on weather and fire conditions, as evaluated by Alberta Wildfire. As of 8:45 p.m. last night, the county did not have an anticipated date for re-entry, although it is beginning re-entry planning.
Speaking on May 12, Kusch commented, “We don’t want to rush re-entry and end up scrambling with people in the way of all of the crews working. With the weather being a little bit more favourable between last night and today, we’re hoping that things are still trending in the right direction.”
Although one home has unfortunately been lost to the fire, officials say structure protections are in place and remain a top priority. Animal welfare checks are also being conducted throughout the day, where conditions are safe and operationally feasible.
Last night, Alberta Wildfire reported firefighters and aircraft had made good progress on eliminating hot spots along the perimeter of the wildfire and near homes. Today, the organization anticipates strong winds, which could be a challenge, but cloud cover, cooler temperatures and high relative humidity should help with firefighting efforts.
The fire was last reported to be around 51 hectares in size and remains classified as out of control. Updates can be monitored on the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard and the Woodlands County Facebook page.
Fortunately, when the fire was initially identified, it was one of the few priority wildfires burning in Alberta.
“One of the biggest wins we had is this was one of the only main fires in the province [in] the area, so the province was able to divert a lot of equipment and resources this way,” commented Kusch.
He also said the county benefited from a fast response time from a variety of collaborators, including Alberta Wildfire, the Town of Whitecourt, Woodlands County, Lac Ste. Anne County, Yellowhead County and the Town of Mayerthorpe.
The county’s latest report, from 8:45 last night, also says 150 families, 424 individuals and 350 pets have evacuated to the Allan and Jean Millar Centre in the Town of Whitecourt.
The evacuation centre will be open from 9 a.m. to noon today. Evacuees needing assistance with meals or accommodations can contact the Woodlands County Evacuee Hotline at 825-401-8409.
As the wildfire danger continues, residents are asked to stay away from the evacuation area, including the use of side-by-sides and off-highway vehicles, which can create additional wildfire risk.
The Whitecourt Forest Area is also under a fire advisory, meaning any burning without a valid fire permit is prohibited, except for campfires. Click here for more details on the Fire Advisory.
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