Some residents of an area in northwestern Alberta were issued an evacuation order on Tuesday because of the threat posed by a wildfire burning in the region.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m., the Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued an evacuation alert, warning some residents of Municipal District of Peace No. 135 and Birch Hills County — anyone within a five-kilometre radius surrounding Township 830 and Range Road 231 — to be prepared to leave their homes within 30 minutes.
“The situation is changing rapidly,” the AEMA said.
At 5:27 p.m., the agency issued an evacuation order for the area.
“Gather pets, important documents and medication for at least three days,” the AEMA said.
Evacuees were told to head to Grimshaw and register at a reception centre located at 5011 49 Ave.
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At 6:42 p.m., the AEMA said in an update that the evacuation order had broadened to include everyone in the area of Township Road 580, south to the Peace River, and from Highway 684, east to the Peace River, in the Municipal District of Peace No. 135.
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Those evacuees were also told to head to Grimshaw.
On Tuesday evening, the AEMA said the fire posing a threat was burning southeast of Township Road 580, about one kilometre north of the river, and that it was “burning northwest.”
“Everyone else in the MD must prepare for a possible evacuation on short notice, especially those near this fire,” the agency said.
Shortly after 7 p.m., the AEMA said in another update that the fire was burning southeast of Township Road 830, about one kilometre north of the river, and that it was “burning northwest.”
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The AEMA said the evacuation order now included “everyone in the area of Township Road 830, south to the Peace River, and from Highway 684, east to the Peace River.”
Those evacuees were also told to head to Grimshaw.
Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen and Alberta Wildfire information officer Josee St. Onge are scheduled to hold a news conference at 9:30 a.m. in Edmonton on Wednesday to provide an update on the wildfire situation in the province.
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