UPDATED at 6:00 p.m. May 16, 2023.
As of 2:00 p.m., May 16, 2023, the evacuation order for the Town of Drayton Valley and parts of Brazeau County is partially lifted and staggered community re-entry can now occur safely.
According to the Town of Drayton Valley:
“As of 2:00 pm on May 16, 2023, those with even house number addresses are able to return to the evacuated areas. At 4:00 p.m., those with odd house number addresses will be allowed to return to the community.
For residents of Brazeau County, the Buck Creek fire is still impacting properties and those areas of fire activity noted in red on the map will remain under an evacuation order.
(Town of Drayton Valley)
BEFORE you come back to the community, please ensure you do the following as resources as supplies may be limited:
– Fill up your vehicles with fuel
– Pick up a few days worth of groceries
This staggered entry approach is to reduce the traffic on the highways and allow for a safe re-entry of our residents to the community.
Please refer to the map for details on remaining evacuation order area, noted in red, and road closure locations to keep the area secure. Residents whose properties are located within the revised evacuation red zone are not able to return home at this time.
As firefighting operations continue for at least the remainder of the week, smaller areas in the red evacuation zone may re-open systematically as fire crews reach extinguishment objectives to make returning to those areas safe.
For those who are able to return to their homes in the Town of Drayton Valley and surrounding area, please use the following routes:
- Arriving from the West: travel east on Highway 620
- Arriving from the North: travel south on Highway 22
- Arriving from the East: travel west on Highway 39
- Arriving from the South: travel north use Highway 22
Evacuation orders were lifted today as the Buck Creek Wildfire is considered ‘being held’, which means the wildfire is not likely to spread beyond predetermined boundaries under prevailing conditions. At this point, fire crews will finish establishing control lines working inwards to the burned area, conduct fuel management activities and mop-up (extinguishing a fire) in close proximity to residential structures.
Firefighting work will continue on the Buck Creek Wildfire for at least the remainder of this week, over the coming long weekend and likely beyond that point. These efforts are to maintain fire containment guards and to address priority hotspots surrounding residential dwellings.
Fire, smoke, trees burning at the roots and ‘torching’ or ‘candling’ to their tops is to expected within the many ‘green islands’ within the fire burn path or what is known as the ‘black’ area. Fire activity in the area will last for some time to come until soaking rains occur or other natural extinguishment happens. Residents should expect fire activity and smoke and report fires within the Buck Creek Wildfire area if they are near a dwelling or have potential to spread to any values.
Thanks to the work of many utility service providers, critical infrastructure repairs were completed and there are plans in place to support emergency response during community re-entry.
The Drayton Valley Hospital and Care Centre will be open at 0730 May 17 and EMS services remain available in the community. Those with a medical conditions, concerns or who anticipate a need for the emergency department may choose to delay their return until full hospital services resume.
Shale Medical Clinic will be taking walk-in appointments as of today, May 16, 2023 starting at 2:00 p.m. The hard work and dedication of our emergency personnel and first responders have made this re-entry possible earlier than initially anticipated.
To prevent traffic congestion and collisions, residents are asked to obey all traffic laws and posted signage upon entering the community. Do not slow down or stop on the roads to observe burned areas and to please use caution as fire and utility crews will be working in the area.
A detailed COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY INFORMATION BOOKLET is available at the following locations:
- Brazeau County Office
- Town of Drayton Valley Civic Centre
We strongly encourage everyone returning to read the COMMUNITY RE-ENTRY INFORMATION BOOKLET
https://www.draytonvalley.ca/…/Re-Entry-Booklet_final.pdf
https://www.brazeau.ab.ca/fire
Before returning to the area or upon returning to their homes or businesses with answers to many frequently asked questions is also available.
Residents are asked to use the checklist as they prepare to come home. Ensure your vehicle is fueled and have supplies to last a few days, as your local stores may not be fully staffed or stocked yet.
For residents with medical conditions, the air quality monitoring station in Drayton Valley indicates that the risk from smoke is currently moderate to high. Those with respiratory concerns may want to delay returning.
This has been a difficult time for our residents and businesses. Mental health support is available by calling 1-877-303-2642.
“I’m so happy to finally welcome our community home,” said Town of Drayton Valley Mayor, Nancy Dodds. “This has been a very trying time, but I have been touched by the optimism, generosity and compassion of our residents.”
“This has been a tough go for everyone involved and an unprecedented event for our community,” said Brazeau County Reeve, Bart Guyon. “I’m happy that we’re at a place where most folks can come back and get on with their lives.”
The Town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County express their sincere gratitude to all the emergency responders, incident management personnel, staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to support their communities during this challenging time.”
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 16, 2023:
- Wildfire RCU-005 is 2 km from the south edge of Drayton Valley. It is classified as out of control at 4,959 hectares.
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A WILDFIRE HAS FORCED A MANDITORY EVACAUATION OF THE TOWN OF SWAN HILLS.
There is a wildfire burning northwest of the Town of Swan hills. Conditions have changed drastically today and residents must prepare to evacuate immediately.
According to the Town of Swan Hills:
“A wildfire has forced a mandatory evacuation of the Town of Swan Hills. You are to evacuate immediately. Gather pets, important documents and medication, enough food, water and supplies for at least three days. A reception center is set up and located at the Barrhead Agrena located at 5607 47 Street, Barrhead Alberta. All evacuees are encouraged to register at the reception center. If you are not going through Barrhead for evacuation, please contact Swan Hills FCSS at 780-333-4119, for further information on how to register by phone.
Follow alberta.ca/emergencyalert and local media for updates.
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 16, 2023:
- Wildfire SWF-064 is located over 40 km northwest of Swan Hills, is classified as out of control and has burned approximately 22,220 hectares.
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Yellowhead County has issued a Wildfire Alert for Carrot Creek, Niton, and Mackay areas.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, the Evacuation Alert is for everyone in the area: North of Highway 16 to south of Township Rd 550, east of Highway 32 to west of Highway 751. This includes the community of Niton Junction.
Residents in this area need to prepare to evacuate. There is a wildfire east of Shining Bank Lake. Please call 1-833-334-4630 for more information.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents, medication, food, water, supplies for at least three days. This alert will be updated if an evacuation is required. Go to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, for updates.
Meantime, Yellowhead County’s Wildfire Evacuation Order for east of Shining Bank Lake remains in effect.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, the Evacuation Order is for everyone in the area:
North of Township Rd 550, east of Highway 32, South of Township Rd 570 east to Range Rd 130, south to Township Rd 561, and west of Range Rd 120.
Residents in this area need to evacuate. There is a wildfire east of Shining Bank Lake.
The established evacuation routes are: south on Range Rd 130; south on Highway 32; west on Highway 748; or south on Highway 751.
The Shining Bank Reception Centre will be at the Holiday Inn in Edson at 4520 2 Ave. Evacuees can register at the Reception Centre or call 1-833-334-4630. (The Reception Centre will be closing at 7:00 pm tonight and will re-open tomorrow morning, May 17th at 8:00 am.)
For after-hours assistance, please call 1-833-334-4630.
Everyone in the affected area needs to evacuate. Gather pets, important documents, medication, food, water, supplies for at least three days. Go to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, local media for updates.
WATCH: Information Session for Yellowhead County Residents, May 16, 2023, 2:00 p.m.
Online or at the Holiday Inn
Live Online on Yellowhead County Facebook page
Yellowhead County
Open to the Public & Media
Online or at the Holiday Inn (4520-2 Ave., Edson).
This will be an information session for current evacuees and all Yellowhead County residents. The meeting will include an update from Mayor Wade Williams and Yellowhead County CAO Luc Mercier. Please call 1-833-334-4630 for more information.
According to Alberta Wildfire:
- Wildfires WCU-001 and WCU-002 are in the area of Evansburg, Entwistle, Wildwood, Lobstick and Hansonville. They are classified as out of control 7,281 hectares (WCU001) and 2,401 hectares (WCU002).
- Wildfire EWF-035 is located 3 km southeast of Shining Bank and is classified as out of control at 5,952 hectares.
According to Yellowhead County:
“Structural Protection Unit Crews are still out pre-planning and assessing areas in Yellowhead County.
Coloured flags marked ‘SPU’ are set up on these properties to help firefighters identify operations for that property. This is to identify the placement of pumps and structural protection sprinklers.
Please DO NOT move or remove these ribbons. They are extremely important to the work that these Structure Protection Unit Crews do. We thank you for your continued cooperation!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The SPU Crews are working on the most at-risk properties and then moving outward from the fire.
We would like to remind residents the importance of FireSmarting your property, which can make a huge difference in protecting your home. One rule of thumb is to move anything that is flammable and movable at least 30 feet away from structures. You can find additional tips here: https://firesmartbc.ca/
Crews are continuing to assess and monitor all properties in affected areas, including those currently without sprinklers in place. They will take action as required depending on available resources. The crews will divert resources as needed depending on the fire situation, weather and wind changes, and fire behaviour.
We’ve been receiving a lot of questions regarding evacuee assistance, so we want to provide additional information to Yellowhead County residents. There are a few types of potential assistance.
TRADITIONAL ASSISTANCE TYPES:
- RECEPTION CENTRE ASSISTANCE
– Evacuated residents that went to our Reception Centres with immediate needs that they could not meet on their own were assisted by our Reception Centre staff.
– We worked with numerous people to accommodate different personal requirements that people had.
- DISASTER FUNDING (POST-EMERGENCY)
– Other potential assistance is through disaster funding, which would happen *after* the emergency is done.
– Because Yellowhead County has declared a State of Local Emergency, we are able to put in a request to the Province through a Disaster Recovery Fund that they would traditionally implement after the fact after they look at the considerations of the disaster and estimated needs.
– That would come forward in the coming months. This is why we have asked our residents to keep receipts and keep a summary of expenses incurred for the time that you spent evacuated. Those documents will be looked at in the future for consideration of funding.
ADDITIONAL SOURCE:
- PROVINCIAL ALLOCATION
– An additional way that funding came through was the $1,250 allocation that the Province put forward as a significant amount of people were affected by longer-term evacuations.
– Currently, the eligibility for that funding is for those who have spent a total of 7 days or more away from home. Those who qualify can apply online at alberta.ca/emergency.
INSURANCE:
We would also like to remind you that you can contact your insurance company and find out their options for you regarding evacuation assistance.
Additional information: Shiningbank-AEA-Evacuation-ORDER-Map-May-14-Hwy-32.jpeg
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A Wildfire Evacuation Order remains in effect for parts of the Municipal District of Greenview.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, this alert is in effect for Fox Creek to Little Smoky and all areas immediately surrounding these communities up to Highway 947.
A wildfire has forced the evacuation of the entire Town of Fox Creek, Hamlet of Little Smoky and surrounding areas. If you are in the affected area, evacuate immediately to Whitecourt on Highway 43.
A reception Centre is located at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre at 58 Sunset Blvd in Whitecourt. Evacuees are required to register.
For highway closures, check 511 Alberta. Stay tuned to local media or call 780-524-6584 for assistance.
Residents between Township Road 683 and 670 and Range Road 232 and 211 must prepare to evacuate on a 1-hour notice.
According to Alberta Wildfire on May 16, 2023:
- 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 82,666 hectares.
- This wildfire is located in the Fox Creek area. It is classified as out of control at 46,915 hectares.
- There is a wildfire located 27 km southwest of Little Smoky. It is currently classified as out of control at 7,850 hectares.
According to the MD of Greenview:
“WWF023 was detected on May 5, is burning out of control at approximately 30,564 ha in size. The fire was first detected by the Eagle Tower Road. The wildfire is approximately 10.4 km NE of the town of Fox Creek as of May 15. The wildfire is 12.6km SE of Little Smoky.
Air tankers with multiple bucket supports will continue to work on this fire. Additional resources allocated to this fire include helicopters, multiple dozers, helicopter attack and fire attack crews. Dozers will continue efforts building containment guards to prevent the wildfire from spreading further towards communities. Helicopter crews will continue to work on reinforcing containment at the head of the fire.
Helitack crews from Oregon and Cypress Hills as well as a pre-suppression crew from Quebec continue to assist with firefighting efforts. Crews will continue searching for hotspots on an ongoing basis. Structure protection deployment will adapt as the situation changes. Fire behaviour on this wildfire remains ever-changing and conditions on the fire line will continue to vary due to forecasted weather. Growth has been seen on the NW head of the fire. Wildfires burn very hot and will burn into the ground. High temperatures and dry conditions are anticipated to continue this week. Little or no precipitation is expected. Winds are expecting to shift to a NW direction, which will shift the direction of smoke.
Meantime, the Crooked Lake fire is classified as out of control (OC) and estimated to be 7,850ha. This fire is located 27 km SW of Little Smoky and continues to show very aggressive fire behaviour. This wildfire is an active crown fire burning in continuous spruce and pine fuel type. Today, an assessor is flying and preparing for tonight’s weather change for operational tactics.”
Of further note:
“If you are travelling Highway 43, please be prepared. Services are limited/not available between Whitecourt and Grande Prairie due to current evacuations. Fires between Valleyview and Fox Creek also create smoky conditions that can impact visibility.
If you must travel, please use caution. Turn on your headlights and make sure you have enough fuel, food and supplies. Please travel according to road conditions and be aware of your surroundings.
If you see a new wildfire, please report it by calling 310-FIRE or 911. Early reporting can provide the advance notice needed to get on top of new wildfires or flareups. Stay safe and stay alert.”
Additional information: LittleSmoky_Fire_EvacMay2023-New.jpg, http://www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, http://www.alberta.ca/BePrepared, https://mdgreenview.ab.ca/, https://511.alberta.ca/
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A Wildfire Alert remains in place for a southern portion of Woodlands County.
According to Alberta Emergency Alert, this alert is in effect for everyone in the area:
North of Township Rd 561, west of Range Road 120, south of Groat Creek Road, Twp Rd 584 west of the McLeod River to RR 144 east of the McLeod River to RR 123 at Whitecourt Mountain.
Officials say there is a wildfire south of Township Road 570, west of RR 123, north of Twp Rd 560 and east of Shining Bank. No evacuation is required currently. However, with worsening weather conditions, this fire could force evacuation of the affected area.
Everyone in the affected area must prepare for a possible evacuation. Gather pets, important documents and medication, enough food, water and supplies for at least three days. This alert will be updated if an evacuation is required. Stay tuned to www.alberta.ca/emergencyalert, local media for updates.
According to Woodlands County on May 15, 2023:
“Woodlands County is aware of the Alberta Emergency Alert (AEA) Evacuation ORDER issued by Yellowhead County.
View the AEA Order: https://bit.ly/3o1bvwh
Alberta Wildfire confirms that there is no anticipated growth north/northeast of EWF035/ Shining Bank Fire. The fire has not jumped the perimeter. As reported earlier today, Alberta Wildfire anticipated “…winds shifting from the northwest 20-25 km/h gusting up to 50 km/h later this afternoon.”
Woodlands County has ground crews on scene connecting in-person with residents. The Woodlands County AEA Evacuation ALERT remains in place.
View the AEA Advisory here: https://bit.ly/3MudORO
The importance of preparedness and being informed is key in these situations.
Emergency Planning: https://www.alberta.ca/make-an-emergency-plan.aspx
Alberta Wildfire Status: https://www.alberta.ca/wildfire-status.aspx
Alberta Emergency Alert: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx”
Of further note:
“Schuman Lake campground will remain closed this May long weekend due to wildfires and smoke conditions. The campground will reopen at a later date.”
Additional information: Zone-1-EWF035-11-May-2023.png, http://alberta.ca/BePrepared, https://woodlands.ab.ca/
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