'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
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.