Wildfire situation improving, Alberta no longer in state of emergency
Alberta is no longer under a provincial state of emergency.
The Emergency Management Act was invoked on May 6 to help mobilize firefighting and evacuee resources as 110 wildfires burned in the province.
So far in the 2023 Alberta wildfire season, there have been 563 wildfires.
"We've surpassed a million hectares burned, a milestone we've never hit by this point," Christie Tucker of Alberta Wildfire said Saturday. "The most area burned for an entire wildfire season was 1.3 million hectares in 1981.
"It's been more than 40 years since we've had a season like this one."
With the help of cooler weather and rain, crews had made significant progress by Saturday and 504 of the season's fires were out.
"In other words, we have extinguished 90 per cent of all fires started this year," Tucker added.
Officials said the state of emergency, which expired at midnight Sunday, will not be renewed at this time, as its anticipated conditions will continue to improve.
On Sunday, 59 wildfires were burning and 17 were out of control.
Tucker said the 14,474-hectare Rocky River fire burning out of control north of Fort Chipewyan is the top priority.
Residents of the area remained under a mandatory evacuation order on Sunday, including Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
Officials said support and resources for communities affected by wildfire will remain in place and will not be affected by the expiry of the provincial state of emergency.
"There will be no change to the level of support, resourcing and coordination that we are providing," Cyndee Evans, Alberta Emergency Management Agency executive director, said Saturday.
The wildfire information line at 310-4455 is open 24-hours a day and eligible evacuees can continue to apply for the one-time emergency financial relief payment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.