Local updates on wildfires and evacuation orders: May 9

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for parts of Brazeau County and the town of Drayton Valley, where local states of emergency remain in place.

Evacuees should register in Edmonton at the Expo Centre, Hall C, at 7515 118 Avenue.

According to Alberta Wildfire on May 9, 2023:

• Wildfire RCU-005 is 2 km from the south edge of Drayton Valley. It is classified as out of control at 3,500 hectares.
• Firefighters, helicopters, a Wildland Urban Interface crew and heavy equipment are supporting this fire. Airtankers are available as required.

According to the County:

“The fire continues to burn out of control this morning. More resources from wildfire, municipal fire departments, and the South Zone Regional All-Hazards Incident Management Team have arrived today to provide further assistance to the Incident Management Team and crews on the ground. Alberta Wildfire is providing expertise to Brazeau County and the Town of Drayton Valley on appropriate fire management strategies and predicted fire behaviour.

Crews continue to work on both sides of the river supporting dozer guards in priority areas. We are using fire crews as well as local contractors to do this work.

The proximity of the fire to populated areas and critical infrastructure makes the situation too unpredictable to consider re-entry at this time. Fire activity is expected to increase as the weather warms up and crews are taking advantage of the cooler temperatures over the last few days to make headway.

Crews appreciate your support and your cooperation as they continue to work in various priority areas around the fire perimeter.”

Also of note, the Drayton Valley circuit court is within the Town of Drayton Valley’s evacuation order. The next sitting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16.

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A state of local emergency and mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for the Town of Fox Creek, Little Smoky and surrounding areas.

Evacuees should register at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre, at 58 Sunset Boulevard in Whitecourt.

According to Alberta Wildfire on May 9, 2023:

• This wildfire is located in the Fox Creek area. It is classified as out of control at 21,568 hectares.
• Firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment are supporting this wildfire. Airtankers are available as required.

According to the Town:

“Alberta Government is hosting a Telephone Townhall tonight from 7:30 – 8:45 p.m.

The teleconference will focus on evacuees, supports available, and answer your questions about the financial assistance program launched yesterday. Premier Smith and Minister Ellis will be in attendance.

The link to listen live and have your questions addressed is: 1-833-380-0691.

You can also listen and ask questions via this link: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php…

The town is intact. The WWF023 fire is approximately 2 km east of Highway 43, 6km from town, and 52 km wide.

Yesterday’s cooler temperatures and reduced wind allowed our local fire department and AB Wildfire crews to create and fortify important containment lines to prevent spreading. AB Wildfire is working on dozer guards at the head of the fire, the FC department on backburns at the town borders.

The forecast for today, and Wednesday will allow them to focus on building additional containment lines and strategic buffer zones.

Don’t let the skyline and current clear skies deceive you. This fire is out of control and burns deep into the ground. It is a sleeping giant. The situation can change quickly. Conditions on the fire line will vary depending on weather conditions.

The next two days of work are extremely important. Fire specialists anticipate the warming trend, expected to begin Thursday, will fan the flames, stir flare-ups, and stimulate growth. The containment guards being installed will slow spread, provide staging areas for active firefighting and clear pathways for crews and equipment to work or escape if necessary.

Fire behaviour Thursday, Friday and into the weekend will present a completely different scenario and set of priorities for all of us. Friday is the next pivotal day and the weekend is the next critical period. Therefore, the evacuation order remains in effect.

We are sorry, we know you want to come home. You will not be returning until after the next crucial period is assessed, this weekend. We cannot stress that enough. The risk to you and the community is high. When home is deemed safe, we’ll let you know. Until then, we can offer little more of a homecoming prediction than ‘not until further notice.’

Alberta Wildfire has three helicopters, three dozers and one fire crew here, our department is in full force including the welcome return of some retired, familiar faces.

More resources are needed here and all over Alberta. Imported crews are arriving in the province daily.”

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A local state of emergency and mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for parts of Lac Ste. Anne County.

The Evacuation Order remains in place for all lots within Lessard Lake Estates, located at 5124 Township Road 554, on the south side of Lessard Lake. Everyone from Lessard Lake Estates must remain evacuated at this time.

Evacuees should register at the Mayerthorpe Diamond Centre, at 4184 54 Street.

Meantime, residents of the following areas should be prepared to evacuate on short notice:

Lac St. Anne County, in the area north of Township Road 560 and south of Highway 43, and between Range Road 60 to 53 and the community of Cherhill.

According to the County:

“The County initiated contact Monday, May 8, via telephone with the entire list of 197 Lessard Lake Estates property owners. If you as an owner were not contacted, please call the County at 780.785.3411 or tollfree 1.866.880.5722.

We are developing the re-entry plan to get you access to your property within the next 48 hours. The County appreciates your patience, and we understand you’re anxious to get back to your property.

All updates and directives related to the wildfires will continue to be posted to the County website and Facebook page. Residents who visit www.CountyConnect.ca and opt in to the County’s emergency notification system can also receive wildfire status updates via text, email or voice message.”

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A local state of emergency remains in effect for the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County, while mandatory evacuation orders continue for parts of Yellowhead County.

The mandatory evacuation areas include: Evansburg, Hansonville, Lobstick Resort, and Wildwood, areas east of Range Road 110 (north of Chip Lake) and east of Range Road 101 (south of Chip Lake) and south of Township Road 560 in Yellowhead County.

Evacuees should register at the Dr. Duncan Murray Rec Centre, 805 Switzer Drive, Hinton, or at the Jasper Fitness & Aquatics Centre, at 305 Bonhomme Street, Jasper.

The evacuation order for the Town of Edson and some areas of Yellowhead County, between Marlboro to the Chip Lake area, have been lifted.

Yellowhead County is currently working on plans for re-entry into Evansburg which is planned for Wednesday, May 10, 8:00 a.m., and will continue to evaluate other areas to prepare for re-entry to these areas as well.

According to Alberta Wildfire on May 9, 2023:

• Wildfires EWF-035, WCU-001 and WCU-002 are part of the Deep Creek Complex and will be reported together.
• Wildfires WCU-001 and WCU-002 are in the area of Evansburg, Entwistle, Wildwood and Hansonville. They are classified as out of control 9,898 hectares (WCU001) and 2,400 hectares (WCU002).
• Wildfire EWF-035 is located 3 km southeast of Shining Bank and is classified as out of control at 5,027 hectares.
• There is an Incident Management Team, firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment supporting this fire. Airtankers are also available as required.
• Wildfire EWF-031 is located 25 km west of Lodgepole, 20 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 14 km southeast of Edson. It is still classified as out of control at 77,920 hectares.

According to the Town of Edson:

“We have confirmation the Edson Hospital Emergency Department has reopened in a limited capacity as of 8:00 a.m. on May 9, 2023.

The Town of Edson is reopening many of our facilities tomorrow on adjusted schedules.

The Civic Centre, Public Works, and Protective Services Building are all scheduled to be open 9am to 4pm for the remainder of the week. The later opening is to allow time in the morning to brief staff, hold meetings, and to be honest, just to let them catch their breath before opening the doors.

Please have patience as we resume our regular day-to-day operations.

The Edson and District Leisure Centre will be open tomorrow for program bookings and to start the process of re-opening the pool. The pool will open to regular programming on Thursday, with the exception of swimming lessons. Those will be cancelled for the week.

Waste collection and the Edson Landfill are open on regular schedules and hours now. Wood products are not being accepted at the landfill until further notice.

Phone lines will be open again as well for Town of Edson related matters only. Please follow the Alberta Wildfire pages for updates on the fire situation. https://srd.web.alberta.ca/edson-area-update or call 310-4455.

Follow us for more facility and programming updates as things come back online.

More great information on what to do before, during, and after a wildfire emergency can be found here https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-preparedness.aspx.

While evacuation orders have been lifted in Edson, we’re asking everyone to stay prepared and to keep watching our website and social media for updates.

Also, the Edson Committee of the Whole Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 9th at 7pm has been cancelled as the Town continues to work on wildfire and re-entry operations.”

Click here to watch an update on the situation from Yellowhead County.

According to Yellowhead County:

“We would like to remind residents that the firefighters and emergency crews have been working long hours under stressful conditions. Many of them have also been evacuated and are away from their families and homes too. Please support these boots-on-the-ground emergency responders.

We would also like to thank all the residents who have been working to help protect their communities and homes along with all the firefighters who have come in from other communities across Alberta. AB Wildfire also continues to assist Yellowhead County with these wildfires.

Any agricultural operations and farms can request special access conditions for calving, foaling, and lambing provided it is considered safe for your area. Please contact 1-833-334-4630 for details. Residents that need to check livestock or retrieve pets can also request access between 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Please contact 1-833-334-4630 for details.

Residents need to remember that there is still fire activity and other potential safety concerns in some areas. Firefighters and emergency services are still operating in these areas. Anyone entering firefighting areas can impact and prevent firefighting efforts in this area.

Returning residents should check utilities on arrival to ensure everything is operational. If you have utility concerns, please contact your service provider as soon as possible.

The ER is open at the Edson hospital. Please note that there will be limited services at the Edson Hospital as they complete their re-entry. EMS ambulance services are available, as well as fire/medical first responders. EMS/ambulance is available, as well as our Medical First Responders/Fire services. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Services such as grocery services, pharmacies, and gas stations and other services are mostly re-opened, but residents need to be prepared for a reduction in service until staff and stock are in place.

Please continue to call 9-1-1 for all emergencies including wildfires.

Fire bans remain in place and the Town of Edson is still under a water ban.

The ECC number is 1-833-334-4630 for any evacuation or re-entry related questions.

For information on emergency evacuation funding from the province, visit www.alberta.ca/emergency or call 310-4455.

For the most recent wildfire updates in Yellowhead County and weather forecasts impacting the wildfire, visit: https://srd.web.alberta.ca/edson-area-update.”

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Parkland County has announced that thanks to the continued efforts of their fire crews, they were able to allow all evacuated Parkland County residents back to their homes on Monday. 

According to Parkland County:

“We recognize that this has been a challenging time for our evacuees. We invite residents to join us for a snack and to connect with staff on any questions or supports needed at the Entwistle Community Recreation Centre from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The evacuation centre at Wabamun Jubilee Hall also remains open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

More on the Range Road 70 wildfire, including re-entry information, can be found at www.parklandcounty.com/RR70.

We’re pleased to have clarification from the provincial government that Parkland County residents are eligible to apply for Emergency Evacuation Payments.

Parkland County reached out to our provincial counterparts to advocate on behalf of our residents and are pleased to announce that the eligibility for emergency payments has been modified to include those who’ve had to evacuate for seven days or more, regardless if they returned home during that time.

“We’re comforted to know that Parkland County residents won’t be left behind in what is already a financially and emotionally taxing time,” said Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble. “My hope is that the funds that are now available to our residents will help to ease a bit of stress as they get settled back at home and the clean-up begins.”

The Emergency Evacuation Payment information has been updated on the Provincial Government website, www.alberta.ca/emergency and includes instructions for applying both online and over the phone. For applications over the phone, please call 310-4455, anytime day or night for assistance.”

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Some residents in the Municipal District of Greenview still need to be prepared to evacuate on short notice, as a local state of emergency continues.

Those residents are in the Grovedale area.

Greenview Wildfire Update Session with Reeve Tyler Olsen, Regional Fire Chief Wayne Brown and RCMP Sergeant Chris Power will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 9:00 am.

Greenview residents are invited to join the MD in person or online as the panel discusses the current wildfire situation in Greenview.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Online

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86884606292…

In Person:

Valleyview – (Greenview Regional Multiplex 4803-56 Ave., Valleyview)

Whitecourt – (Allan & Jean Millar Centre 58 Sunset Blvd, Whitecourt)

DeBolt – DeBolt Community Centre (65 Alberta Avenue, DeBolt)

Grovedale – Grovedale Community Hall (69011 Range Road 64, Grovedale)

Grande Cache Recreation Centre Arena (10450 Hoppe Ave., Grande Cache)

According to the MD on May 8 at 9:00 p.m.:

“Greenview’s Regional Fire Chief/Director of Emergency Management Wayne Brown took to the air this afternoon and saw some encouraging signs. The fires in the Valleyivew and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation areas were being held with the assistance of some aggressive firefighting and the establishment of fire guards. Multiple helicopters based out of Valleyview were being utilized most of the day, and on the ground, crews made progress on hotspots. Flying southwest, the same progress was witnessed on the fire impacting the Fox Creek and Little Smoky areas. Here, several fireguards have been established along with a backburn. These efforts, together with a couple of more favourable firefighting days yesterday and today, has certainly provided some needed positive news.

Unfortunately, there was a little less to celebrate at the Bald Mountain fire in the Grovedale, Two Lakes Road area. This fire experienced some flare-ups today, prompting Greenview Regional Fire Service to take a more detailed look. While the fire is not formally being fought at this point, it certainly is all over Greenviews radar. We will be implementing a more detailed monitoring regime at this location.

In the meantime, the Hamlet of Grovedale and area is not in imminent danger. A fire evacuation alert remains in place in an effort to keep diligently mindful that conditions can change.  

The Bald Mountain fire (Forestry # GWF-019) is located approximately 36 km south of the Hamlet of Grovedale. At this time, the fire has reduced to approximately 8,365 ha in size. The fire’s leading edge is located at the north end and is getting closer to the Two Lakes Road. Fortunately, the growth of the fire has been very stagnant over the last day, with the leading-edge smoldering more so than burning hot. At this time, Forestry and the MD of Greenview are monitoring the fire closely for the potential for further movement. Currently, Grovedale residents remain under Evacuation Alert Notice. However, no further plans for formal evacuation are being planned at this time.”

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In Woodlands County, officials say airtankers dropped retardant lines on May 9 to provide containment for the fire. 

County officials say these perimeter lines will help build-up containment on the north end of the wildfire as this is a priority area.

A message from Woodlands County Reeve, John Burrows.

According to the County:

“There are crews and heavy equipment allocated to the wildfire and they’re working to establish containment lines to prevent further spread into rural properties. Over the coming days heavy equipment will start at the southeast fire boundary and work their way north and finally to the west to build a containment line.

EWF035 was detected on May 5 and is located 3 km southeast of Shining Bank. This wildfire is classified as out of control and estimated to be 5,072 ha in size. This wildfire has crossed highway 32 and is being continually assessed by Alberta Wildfire.

As we continue to see cloud cover over the complex creating higher levels of humidity and will help fighters in their suppression efforts. Ground fire will be present throughout the wildfire areas. AB Wildfire is assisting Yellowhead County and Woodlands County with this wildfire.

62 firefighters worked alongside 14 pieces of heavy equipment on the complex. Additionally, eight helicopters performed bucketing operations on the wildfires near affected communities.

Weather will remain mild but near the end of the week we will begin to see high temps and SE winds on Friday from the northeast at 10-15 km/h.

We encourage anyone who suspects a wildfire that is not indicated on our app to report it to 310-FIRE.

If you have any questions or concerns about the DEEP CREEK COMPLEX please call the Wildfire Information Officer at 780-653-0153 and press 2 for information.”