'Definitely nerve-wracking': Out-of-control wildfire puts Saprae Creek on temporary evacuation alert
An out-of-control wildfire on the weekend put people living in the hamlet of Saprae Creek, about 25 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray, on evacuation alert temporarily.
"Your heart kind of sinks and you get really nervous especially if you were here in 2016, which we were, we were in this house, same place," said Trish Trefry, who lives in the hamlet.
Trefry said the fire is four to five kilometres away from her home.
"We bought out in the woods to have the woods, now they're pretty much all gone. There's been a lot of re-growth but there's a lot of stuff to still burn out there, obviously, since it's so close," she said.
The alert was first issued on Sunday afternoon, and by evening, the fire was reported as being 30 hectares in size on the Alberta Wildfire dashboard.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking, but you just get some stuff together and just get ready to go," said Trefry.
"Everybody put a little bag together. Tanks are full of fuel and ready to go if we need to," she added.
As of Monday, the wildfire known as MWF-012 was reported to be 67 hectares in size.
The evacuation alert was cancelled later Monday and the blaze was reclassified as being held.
According to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), there were four firefighting crews, six helicopters, two airtanker groups and five heavy equipment groups battling the fire.
During an interview with CTV News Edmonton from Trefry's home, there was no sign of the wildfire raging nearby.
"The day of evacuation in 2016, it was exactly the same," she said. "You couldn't see a thing in the horizon, and then all of a sudden, the wind changed direction, something happened and it was black."
In a video posted to social media, RMWB Mayor Sandy Bowman addressed residents under the evacuation alert.
"We know from our experience that this can be very stressful," he said. "We are here to support you, to protect the community and do everything we can to be there for you."
"There's a really great response and they've been hitting it hard," said Trefry of the firefighting efforts.
"I'm confident that they'll get it under control, but obviously, there's always that nagging feeling in the back because I thought that too in 2016," she added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
5 rescued after avalanche triggered north of Whistler, B.C. RCMP say
Emergency crews and heli-skiing staff helped rescue five people who were caught up in a backcountry avalanche north of Whistler, B.C., on Monday morning.
Quebec fugitive killed in Mexican resort town, RCMP say
RCMP are confirming that a fugitive, Mathieu Belanger, wanted by Quebec provincial police has died in Mexico, in what local media are calling a murder.
Bill Clinton hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says
Former President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever.
Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal
First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland. The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office.
UN investigative team says Syria's new authorities 'very receptive' to probe of Assad war crimes
The U.N. organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria said Monday the country’s new authorities were “very receptive” to its request for cooperation during a just-concluded visit to Damascus, and it is preparing to deploy.
Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87
Muriel Stanley Venne, a trail-blazing Métis woman known for her Indigenous rights advocacy, has died at 87.
King Charles ends royal warrants for Ben & Jerry's owner Unilever and Cadbury chocolatiers
King Charles III has ended royal warrants for Cadbury and Unilever, which owns brands including Marmite and Ben & Jerry’s, in a blow to the household names.
Man faces murder charges in death of woman who was lit on fire in New York City subway
A man is facing murder charges in New York City for allegedly setting a woman on fire inside a subway train and then watching her die after she was engulfed in flames, police said Monday.
Canada regulator sues Rogers for alleged misleading claims about data offering
Canada's antitrust regulator said on Monday it was suing Rogers Communications Inc, for allegedly misleading consumers about offering unlimited data under some phone plans.