The evacuation order for High Level residents will last longer than the 72 hours initially predicted.

In addition to the evacuee centres in Slave Lake and High Prairie, residents are also heading to Fort Vermillion. More than 300 residents from High Level and surrounding communities and first nations are staying in the region.

Despite the extension of the evacuation order, the fire hasn’t come any closer to High Level over the last few days, but it has grown in size to 92,000 hectares as of Wednesday night.

“I cannot stress enough that the danger is just outside of High Level and it’s very real,” High Level Mayor Crystal McAteer said.

One of the buildings closest to the fire is the hospital. Crews are working to keep the flames by doing controlled burns between the edge of the wildfire and the edge of town.

There are 110 firefighters working in the town of High Level, and an additional 76 Alberta Wildfire firefighters and 24 helicopters closer to the scene of the fire.

A crew of 21 firefighters left Halifax on Thursday morning, destined for the front lines of the northern Alberta wildfires. They're expected to be on scene for about two weeks.

Alberta Wildfire said favourable wind direction is projected for the next three days.

With files from CTV Edmonton’s Bill Fortier