Grass fires west, northwest of Edmonton force evacuation of communities

Ongoing grass fires have forced the evacuation of towns west and northwest of Edmonton.

A fire in Parkland County was quickly heading west due to high winds.

That forced the evacuation of Evansburg, Entwistle and Lobstick Resort in Yellowhead County late Saturday night. RCMP said there were no injuries reported.

“Our fire crews are working hard to get this wildfire under control,” Parkland County Fire Chief Brian Cornforth told CityNews. “Our top priority is the safety of our residents and first responders. Thank you to all those who have followed the mandatory evacuation order, we appreciate your patience and assistance so we can get everyone back home safe as soon as possible.”

In a video shared with CityNews taken from Trestle Creek, a water bomber could be seen dropping water on the flames on Saturday.

Police did say that fire continued to burn out of control on Sunday.

“I want to thank those who have offered supports,” said Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble. “Parkland County is a connected community and it’s wonderful to see neighbours helping each other in this time of need. I also want to thank our Fire Crews and staff working hard to manage this fire. We appreciate their dedication and commitment to keeping us all safe, especially in times like this.”

About 90 kilometres northeast of that blaze, people living in a rural area near Barrhead, Alta., between Township Road 592 and 594, and Range Road 15 and 24, were asked to evacuate immediately Sunday shortly before 2 p.m.

Police say they were assisting local fire departments with an out-of-control fire there.

Others residing within about three kilometres north of that area were told to be on 15-minute “ready to leave” warning, police say.

By 5:30 p.m. Sunday those residents near Barrhead were able to return to their homes.

“However, Township Road at Range Road 14/15 is not passable at this time as this is the staging area for Fire/RCMP. Expect this closure for at least one day,” Barrhead and Westlock RCMP said in a an update.

The province says in a wildfire information update that additional firefighters and air tankers have been requested for a 330-hectare blaze burning about nine kilometres south of Evansburg, and that two fires burning north of Highway 16 on both sides of Highway 22 are now about 3,000 hectares combined.

“Last night, dozers were on the fire line building containment lines. Early this morning, firefighters used hand ignition techniques to burn off and remove some of the available fuel to re-enforce existing containment lines,” the update said about the fire burning north of Highway 16.

“Today, we will have additional heavy equipment and three helicopters assisting firefighters on the line. Both Yellowhead County and AB Wildfire will work together to contain the spread.”

The update noted strong winds and very dry fuel were the main reasons this wildfire spread so quickly. It reported that fire behaviour Sunday morning was quiet but was expected to increase near noon.

Saturday night after 8 p.m., Parkland County ordered everyone west of Range Road 65, north of Township Road 530 to Township Road 534, including all residents of Entwistle, to evacuate immediately.

A second emergency alert 10 minutes later ordered all residents of the hamlet of Evansburg and those in the area directly south of the hamlet in Yellowhead County to evacuate their properties immediately.

Just before 3 a.m., the Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued a third emergency alert for Yellowhead County. All residents in the Lobstick Resort and those from Range Road 92 and Township Road 542 to Township Road 550 in Yellowhead County were ordered to immediately leave the area.

Grass fire near the hamlets of Entwistle and Evansburg on April 29, 2023. (Submitted by: Twitter user @Bnkr_Chk2)

The critical alerts advised people to collect important documents, medications, and enough food and water to be away for at least three days.

Evacuees from Entwistle were advised to head west on Highway 16, while those from Evansburg should also head west. RCMP said people in Entwistle could go to Tomahawk Community Centre, while those in Evansburg were asked to go to the Wildwood Recreation Complex or the Peers Multiplex. Evacuees from Yellowhead County were told to go to the Wildwood Hall.

More information on the Alberta Emergency Alerts is available here.