Out-of-control wildfire burning in Yellowhead County prompts evacuation alert
A wildfire is burning out of control nine kilometres northwest of Evansburg, prompting an evacuation alert for residents living along Highway 16.
The fire was detected on Tuesday around 4 p.m. as a two-hectare fire and was estimated to be around 125 hectares in size as of 8:50 p.m., according to Alberta Wildfire. They added the fire had crossed Lobstick Creek and was heading south as of 7:15 p.m.
“People are tense, with the dry weather we’re having right now, people are nervous,” said Jim Eglinski, the mayor of Yellowhead County.
There are six air tankers, four helicopters and 30 firefighters working to contain the fire burning between Evansburg and Wildwood.
Eglinski said that Wildwood hadn’t been affected by the fire yet and that crews were “hitting the fire quite rapidly.”
The air tankers and trucks are able to use water from nearby Chip Lake to battle the fire.
Wildfire EWF075 burning near Evansburg. (Source: Alberta Wildfire)
“It’s classified as out of control, but we’re hoping with cooler temperatures overnight, that will help to slow down fire activity and bring it under control,” said Josee St-Onge, with Alberta Wildfire.
An evacuation alert is in place for resident living along Highway 16 west of Highway 22 to Highway 16A.
An evacuation centre is being set up at the Evansburg Arena, resident in the area can call 1-833-334-4630 for emergency information.
“We’ve been getting calls from all over the region, restaurants offering food, stuff like that… the community’s come together,” said Eglinski.
So far, only individual properties have been evacuated, not entire communities, according to St-Onge.
No structures have been destroyed by the fire. Eglinski said several are threatened but sprinklers have been put in place and crews are on standby to protect the homes.
No injuries have been reported from the fire.
St-Onge said the cause of the wildfire is “likely human caused,” but Alberta Wildfire did not yet have an investigation into the cause open yet.
Two area residents who had been evacuated from their home heard the fire started at a nearby peat moss plant.
“We’re hoping and praying it’s going to miss us but… we don’t know,” said George Hyshka.
Highway 16A is closed from 47 Avenue in Evansburg to Range Road 82 because of the fire. Drivers in the area are advised to be careful as smoke may impact visibility.
Smoke from wildfire EWF075 burning near Evansburg. Tuesday June 22, 2021 (CTV News Edmonton)
Hyshka said when he and his wife were leaving their property they thought they going the wrong way because of all the smoke.
A fire advisory is in place for the Edson Forest area, all existing burn permits, other than burn barrels, have been cancelled.
“The fire danger is currently very high… so this is something that we were prepared for and we feel that we have the resources in place to properly action the fire,” said St-Onge.
Alberta Wildfire reminds people if they see smoke or flames and think it could be a wildfire to call 310-3473. They said there have been 74 wildfires in the Edson Forest area since March 1, 2021.
There are currently 12 wildfires burning in the forest protection area of Alberta. Two other small fires are currently classified as out of control, but St-Onge said they are less than 1 hectare in size as of 9 p.m.
“These ones are not wildfires that we are concerned about right now because they are still very small,” said St-Onge.
Evansburg is around 100 km west of Edmonton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
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.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Record-breaking N.B. lottery winner kept winning ticket on dresser for nearly a year
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.