2 wildfires burn west of Edmonton, evacuation order expected to last into Monday

A state of local emergency has been declared in Parkland County as a result of two separate wildfires burning in the area.

"The mandatory evacuation order remains in place for residents located west of Range Road 65 to the Pembina River, north of Township Road 530 to Highway 16, and all of Entwistle," Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday. "It is important that all evacuees register at a reception centre in person, or by calling 780-203-3258. This will allow us to contact you with updates and information."

The evacuation order was issued on Saturday.

The hamlet of Evansburg, which is just to the northwest of Entwistle across the Pembina River in Yellowhead County, was also evacuated.

"There is a fire that started in Trestle Creek within Parkland County, which is now spreading to the northwest towards the hamlet of Entwistle. That fire is encompassing about 200 hectares at this point in time. There is also another fire which is north of Highway 16 within Yellowhead County that is closer to the Evansburg area."

Gamble said somewhere between 300 and 500 residents have been forced out of their homes by the fires, adding the evacuation order would likely continue for at least another 24 hours.

"We know that our fire crews are working efficiently and setting up fireguards around the fire to provide containment. However, with the change in the winds that are affecting the fire it’s difficult at this time to determine an end time at this point."

Gamble said one structure has been impacted by the fire, but he did not elaborate on what kind of structure.

"At this point it’s largely the rural areas with pastureland, some brush area, some forested area, and there has been one structure that has been affected by the fire."

Plumes of smoke can be seen in the sky from a fire in Parkland County, west of Edmonton, on April 29, 2023.

While the cause of the fires have not been determined, Alberta Wildfire says dry conditions and wind create perfect fire conditions.

"We had some pretty good winds yesterday, and it's been dry for a week or so now, the snow is gone, all that dried grass is on the landscape, so it’s pretty easy to start a fire. And we've seen that kind of spark up over this weekend," said Derrick Forsythe of Alberta Wildfire.

Forsythe said while Alberta has seen large wildfires in the past, it's unusual to see them so close to populated areas.

"It's not out of the norm if you have these conditions for the size fire we're seeing. We haven’t had too many of these, especially in what I call built-up areas where people live."

He said the larger the fire grows, the harder it is for crews to build a firebreak around it.

"We're going to get there, at some point, and we're working hard to make sure that happens as quickly as possible."

A fire ban is currently in effect for Parkland County, and Forsythe encourages all Albertans to be aware of fire bans in their area by checking online before they head out.

"It's updated in real time, so you can check throughout the weekend or the week and you'll get the most up to date information."

Evansburg and Entwistle are about 110 kilometres west of Edmonton.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti.