'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
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Tips to make a house or apartment safe and accessible for older adults living at home
Here's a summary of tips from the U.S. National Institute on Aging and AARP, which offers a free room-by-room guide with practical suggestions for older adults living independently.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.