Drayton Valley evacuees expected to be out of homes for at least another week

Evacuees from the wildfire near the town of Drayton Valley are being told to expect to be out of their homes for at least another week.

The town of Drayton Valley and Brazeau County sharing the news on Facebook Thursday night, one week since thousands were told to evacuate the area.

“We know this is not the news that community residents and businesses want to hear; however, re-entry must be done right in order to be successful and safe for everyone” reads the post.

The Buck Creek fire is still classified as out of control and currently just under 5000 hectares in size. Community leaders saying while fire activity may appear to have settled down with cooler weather in recent days, the fire continues to burn inside the perimeter.

“The forecast is calling for hot, dry temperatures and increased winds in the next few days and this will determine how well the fire guards in place will hold.”

Thursday, military crews arrived in the central Alberta community to help fight the fire.

The community making it clear to residents that re-entry is not possible at this time

“The wildfire situation remains too volatile, and while progress is being made on restoring critical infrastructure, services are not yet in place to support our residents coming back to the community.”

Stressing, along with the unknowns of the fire, key services for the community still need to be restored including utilities, waste management, hospital, grocery stores, pharmacies, and emergency services.

Supports for evacuees from the Buck Creek fire have been set up at the Edmonton Expo Centre. Any Albertans displaced by wildfires can call 310-4455 for help with supports.