'Situation has escalated': Edson residents ordered to evacuate because of wildfire
For the second time in about a month, residents of Edson were told to leave town Friday night because of a wildfire.
An Alberta Emergency Alert was issued at 6:22 p.m. after the "fire jumped fire guards."
"Due to increased fire activity, fires are becoming increasingly unpredictable. These fires are moving closer to more populated areas including the Town of Edson," the alert said.
"There could be impacts to roads and highways as the fire crosses blocking off points of egress for evacuation. The reception centre is the Edmonton Expo Centre."
There were at least four out-of-control fires burning east and south of Edson Friday, and according to Alberta Wildfire, about 240,000 hectares has burned.
The alert included some residents of Yellowhead County. Anyone without transportation was asked to call 1-833-334-4630.
"Western boundary of evacuation zone is Range Rd 200. Northern boundary is Township 570 to Range Rd 160 then north to Township 580 east to Highway 751 and south to Township 520," the county Facebook page stated.
A post from the town clarified that people do not have to go to Edmonton if they have somewhere else to stay, but were asked to register by phone at 1-833-334-4630.
"The situation has escalated and we’re asking everyone to start preparing to leave," a Facebook post from town said at 5:45 p.m.
"The fire south of Edson, in the Shining Bank area is showing extreme fire behaviour and we’ve had numerous new starts today as well."
"It is really important that people follow the order as those that stay behind could impact fire operations. In an evacuation there is no emergency medical assistance (hospital/ambulance) and other emergency crews are busy dealing with the situation at hand. You could pull crews away from something important or be at risk of having no help."
Edson residents were told to evacuate west to Hinton on May 5 because of fire, but were allowed to return a few days later.
About 8,000 people live in Edson, which is roughly 200 kilometres west of Edmonton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.