Alberta’s tinderbox conditions have sparked a full fire ban and a blaze that is threatening communities near Slave Lake.
The Municipal District of Lesser Slave River issued an evacuation notice for all residents within 15 km of Mortonville just after 5 p.m. Monday, due to a “serious fire affecting urban residential and commercial properties on the Old Smith Highway.”
A state of local emergency was declared half an hour later.
Officials asked residents to evacuate immediately and make their way to the MD office, where hotel accommodations would be arranged.
The 500-hectare out-of-control wildfire is burning just over 20 km east of Slave Lake.
- Click here for a map of the Western Canada smoke forecast
Slave Lake residents have not been evacuated and the town is not believed to be in danger.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, 29 wildfires were burning in the province, including a 200-hectare wildfire that forced evacuation of approximately 2,000 residents of Wabasca on Sunday night. The fire is deemed out of control, though a team of 50 firefighters kept the blaze from growing Monday afternoon and it is not expected to reach the community, according to a Wildfire Information Officer.
There is no word yet on when residents will be allowed to return home.
Another out-of-control wildfire in northeast Alberta has shut down production of three oilsands projects, halting 233,000 barrels per day of production and burning more than 8,000 hectares.
Cenovus Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. evacuated staff at two sites near Cold Lake over the weekend as a precaution.
Not under control
Officials said the fire, which started on Friday, would not be able to be brought under control Monday.
Imperial Oil Ltd and Husky Energy also have oilsands projects in the Cold Lake region, and both producers said operations were unaffected but they were monitoring the situation closely.
The full fire ban prohibits all open fires, including campfires in campgrounds or backcountry and random camping areas.
The fire ban includes charcoal briquettes. Portable propane fire pits and gas or propane stoves and barbecues designed for cooking or heating are allowed.
All fire permits are suspended or cancelled and no new fire permits will be issued.
The ban comes as continuing hot, dry weather has elevated the wildfire hazard to high, very high or extreme over most of Alberta.
Hot, dry weather is forecasted to continue for at least another week, threatening to further elevate wildfire hazard.
Since April 1, Alberta has experienced 629 wildfires that have burned 13,098 hectares.
Alberta has deployed more than 1,300 wildland firefighters and approximately 100 aircraft to battle the wildfires already underway, and the provinces of Ontario and Quebec have sent additional resources to Alberta to assist.
The fire ban applies to the province’s Forest Protection Area (FPA). For detailed information about restrictions and locations, check albertafirebans.ca.
Up-to-date information fire restrictions and fire bans is available by calling 1-866-FYI-FIRE (1-866-394-3473).
To report a wildfire call 310-FIRE (310-3473).
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