'It was panic, chaos': Hundreds of northern Alberta residents flee growing wildfire
Hundreds of people have fled the Fort Chipewyan, Alta., area due to a wildfire growing nearby.
The wildfire, believed to have been caused by lightning, grew from 300 hectares on Sunday to 8,600 by Wednesday afternoon.
According to Alberta Wildfire, the nearest boundary was 10 kilometres from Fort Chipewyan as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
"The majority of the growth is to the northeast, away from the community. Winds today are continuing to push the fire in that direction," said Josee St-Onge, Alberta Wildfire information officer.
An evacuation alert for Fort Chipewyan – including the Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation – was upgraded to an order Tuesday evening. Fort Chipewyan has a population of a little less than 1,000.
"Things have been quite chaotic," Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam told CTV News Edmonton.
"We managed to get 800 people out of the community in the last two days."
Fort Chipewyan is only accessible by plane or boat. As flights geared up Wednesday morning, officials said some residents may also be removed via the Athabasca River.
The last flight was scheduled to leave the community at 4 p.m. Residents were asked to go to the Archie Simpson Arena to register and get help to leave.
"We're taking care of our people here in the community and we'll continue to take care of them even when they're out of the community," Adam said.
Cheyenne Hall left on a five-hour boat ride to Fort McKay with her two young children and pets.
"It was panic, chaos. I was crying," she said of having to leave her community.
"Really emotional and overwhelmed just seeing all the videos and pictures of Fort Chip, so we're just going to take it day by day and hopefully everything is OK back home and we're able to return soon."
As of Wednesday morning, about 420 of Mikisew's 585 members had left.
Evacuees will go to either Fort McMurray or Fort McKay.
Helicopters and air tankers have been assisting firefighters, and a Canadian Armed Forces aircraft helped with evacuations.
Across the province, 66 wildfires were burning Wednesday afternoon, 18 of which were out of control.
"Fire danger continues to be very high to extreme in various parts of the province, particularly in the northern region," said Alberta Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Bre Hutchinson.
Around 4,400 Albertans are away from their homes due to wildfires.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Lampa and Marek Tkach
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.