An inside look at Premier Smith's Sunday visit to Entwistle

Premier Danielle Smith was in Entwistle Sunday to get an up-close look at the damage done by an out-of-control wildfire in Parkland County.

CTV News Edmonton had exclusive access as Smith spoke with county officials and firefighting personnel, surveying damaged areas and asking questions about the fire and the challenges that remain in putting it out for good.

Smith appeared surprised to see patches of smouldering ground in the area and asked if officials felt it was safe for residents to return.

"I can see why there's so much caution, because we see smouldering piles around, not only near where there will be homes but also across the way," Smith said. "And it sounds like it could last a long time, weeks if not months."

Parkland County Deputy Fire Chief Chad Moore explained the amount of peat soil in the area makes it difficult to completely extinguish the fire, which can burn underground for long periods of time and pose a risk in areas where existing fuel remains.

Long-term management work will be needed to address the burning peat after the fire is held and contained and residents have moved back in, Moore added.

As of Sunday afternoon, the fire near Entwistle remained classified as out of control on the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble said the evacuation in Entwistle is still active, but the recent wetter weather has helped.

"We're hoping if good news continues that we can get our residents back to their homes soon," he said.

Gamble confirmed one residence and several outbuildings in the county have been destroyed, but he did not specify where.

Smith said the county will inform residents of any damage to their property. Anyone with property that has been damaged should contact their insurance company for support, she added.

Premier Danielle Smith met with Parkland County firefighters in Entwistle on Sunday. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)Earlier Sunday, Smith and NDP leader Rachel Notley visited the Edmonton Expo Centre to speak with evacuees, and Smith said she and Notley had a conversation on how the federal government could help with the ongoing situation.

"We both have had experiences going through extreme events; me when I was opposition leader in the High River floods and her, of course, during the Fort McMurray fires," Smith said.

Smith said she plans to speak with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the coming days to request help from the Government of Canada.

"There will be a number of things that I hope he'll be able to assist with. We'll be likely asking if he has in the military any firefighting expertise that he can send as well as perhaps engineers to assist with some of the fire breaks or rebuilding that needs to be done," she said.

Smith also hinted at policy to help evacuees, but did not offer any specifics.

"We do have a policy that was passed, because we've had so many of these kinds of extreme weather events," Smith said. "After seven days of evacuation, [there] are dollars available, so we'll have more to say about that in the coming days."

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