Wildwood evacuation order lifted after 1 week, residents to remain on alert

Roadblocks at the Wildwood, Lobstick Resort and Hansonville communities in Yellowhead County were taken down Thursday morning.

The county ended a week-long evacuation order at 8 a.m.

"Please don't be surprised in Lobstick Resort, Hansonville, at what you see. There are some homes that are down," chief administrative officer Luc Mercier told residents during an announcement with Mayor Wade Williams Wednesday afternoon.

"It will be a little bit of a different scene for you when you show up."

"What I just seen [sic] on the highway driving in, it was horrifying," Wildwood resident Rachel Shea told CTV News Edmonton later that morning. 

County officials have not quantified the extent of the damage in Hansonville and Lobstick Resort.

Wildfire damage in Hansonville in Yellowhead County is seen in this May 11, 2023, photo. That morning, Hansonville, Lobstick Resort and Wildwood residents were allowed to return home.

"When we got evacuated, I still had that bit of being naive, thinking, we're safe, we're OK, this is just a precaution. But then when I look at everything that I seen that is burned and how very close it was to town, I was not prepared," Shea commented, wiping away tears. 

Two out-of-control wildfires in the area were last assessed at 7,250 and 2,400 hectares in size on Wednesday.

The estimated 300 returning residents were told to remain prepared to leave within 30 minutes if the fire risk increased.

Hot and dry conditions are expected throughout the weekend.

"Whether there is a fire in your immediate backyard now or not, with the warm temperatures, we are afraid with what would happen. Every single resident of this county should have an evacuation plan," Williams said.

Smoke left visibility levels near zero in the Hansonville area in Yellowhead County on May 11, 2023, as residents returned to evacuated areas.

Mercier added, "We are not sending you back and planning to evacuate you at the same time. What we’re saying is that you can go home. We feel it’s safe right now."

Despite the county's reassurances, Shea says the situation has left her family on edge. 

Wildwood was first evacuated on May 1. Residents were allowed to come home on May 3, but ended up being told to leave again.

"We were barely here 24 hours and we got sent out again," she recalled. "So yes, very excited to come back, but there's still fear there of the unknown." 

Wildfire damage in Hansonville in Yellowhead County is seen in this May 11, 2023, photo. That morning, Hansonville, Lobstick Resort and Wildwood residents were allowed to return home.

Returning home and seeing the damage has also reinforced Shea's frustration over how the wildfires were responded to when they first broke out at the end of April. 

"We feel that the fire department could have done more. We feel that the county could have done more. We feel that the province could have done more," she said of the community's sentiment. 

"Why did it take so long to get help when we needed it so long ago?"

Shea credited farmers north of the community who used all of their resources to prevent fire from spreading as much as they could. 

The county has said local firefighters are not trained to fight wildland fires. 

"Why not?" Shea asked. 

"Look around us. There are forests. Bush. Maybe not as much as Fort Mac or other areas, but it is here."

Wildfire damage in Hansonville in Yellowhead County is seen in this May 11, 2023, photo. That morning, Hansonville, Lobstick Resort and Wildwood residents were allowed to return home.

Sprinklers and hosers will remain installed throughout the community.

Residents were told to confirm their utilities are working and to contact providers with any issues. Community services like grocers and fuel stations were also reopening, but with reduced service levels.

Help is also available at 1-833-334-4630.

While evacuees were returning home, a multiple-vehicle crash on Highway 16 closed the eastbound lanes near Entwistle. As of 10:30 a.m., traffic was still being detoured via Highway 16A. 511 Alberta warned of near zero visibility in the area. 

Evacuation orders for the nearby communities of Entwistle and Evansburg were ended earlier in the week.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Lampa