Residents west of Edmonton allowed back home as wildfire burns out of control
The wildfire detected in Yellowhead County Tuesday afternoon still burned out of control a day later, according to Alberta Wildfire.
The wildfire, nine kilometres west of Evansburg north of Highway 16 and west of Highway 22, grew from 125 hectares to an estimated 180 hectares overnight.
"People are tense," Yellowhead County Mayor Jim Eglinski said on Tuesday. "With the dry weather we're having right now, people are nervous."
Credit: Alberta WildfireMore than 30 firefighters, six air tankers and four helicopters worked to extinguish the wildfire on Wednesday, with warm and windy weather expected throughout the day.
Fifty residents had to leave their homes behind when an evacuation order was put in place.
"By the time I got too close to where I could see smoke half a mile from the house, they turned us back and said, 'You got to evacuate now,'" George Hyshka told CTV News Edmonton at the Evansburg Arena, where an evacuation centre was set up.
Credit: Yellowhead County
Residents with evacuation questions were encouraged to call 1-833-334-4630.
No injuries or destroyed structures had been reported.
"Our priority is protecting human lives and property," Josee St-Onge with Alberta Wildfire said.
"We're confident that we have the right resources to get this fire under control in a timely manner, but everyone in the area should remain on high alert."
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, residents in the evacuated area were allowed to return home. Officials said residents were still on evacuation alert and should be ready to leave at a moment's notice if conditions change.
Highway 16 is open to traffic in both directions but there is an advisory for reduced visibility between Highway 22 and Highway 753 due to smoke from the wildfire.
Highway 16A is closed to traffic with the exception of evacuated residents.
For up-to-date traffic information in the area of the wildfire, visit 511 Alberta.
The Edson Forest Area is under a fire advisory, where all existing burn permits other than burn barrels are currently cancelled. Safe wood campfires and backyard fire pits are allowed.
Evansburg is around 100 km west of Edmonton.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Steven Dyer, Nahreman Issa and Jeremy Thompson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
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.
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.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
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.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing 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.