Residents of areas northeast of Edmonton ordered to evacuate due to wildfires
Posted May 7, 2025 8:40 am.
Last Updated May 7, 2025 6:33 pm.
Residents in rural areas northeast of Edmonton have been ordered to leave their homes because of separate wildfires.
Sturgeon County
The wildfire alert for Sturgeon County was expanded early Wednesday morning to include the Town of Redwater, as the blaze continues to grow.
The Sturgeon County fire chief says the wildfire grew beyond fire retardant lines and dozer guards, despite crews working through the night.
The size of the fire was approximately 1,500 hectares with a perimeter of 28 linear kilometres by Wednesday afternoon.
“Just given weather conditions, fuel and low humidity and high heat, we we had to pull back and protect homes and property as that fire advanced, using our sprinkler systems and unmanned protection systems, as well as fire crews surrounding the boundary of the fire,” Fire Chief Chad Moore said.
Moore explained just how fast fire can spread in those conditions.
“Fuel can very quickly go from burning on the ground, burning up the tree and into the top of the crown,” he said. “And you’ll often hear perhaps the term crown fire, and that’s where you get this burning across the top of the trees. It’s a very dangerous situation, especially when it’s driven by high winds.
“Embers from those burning trees may fly up to a mile or two ahead of the fire and start a secondary fire ahead. And what that can cause concern for firefighters is fire getting behind them and burning.”
The fire chief says there’s “no tactic” that can stop a crown fire. “If there’s wildfires that pop up, we extinguish those and we have to let this crown fire burn,” he said.
Crews conducted three airplane drops of retardant materials in the area, but Moore says it did nothing to halt the front of the fire.
“Those are large retardant drops across the top, as well as fire guards and everything else, and unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to stop that,” he said.
“So we take precaution measures where we set up sprinklers on homes, we wet down structures, we help Fire Smart by moving flammable materials away from the home, out into the yard, separate,” Chief Moore explained. “And then once the fire, that crown fire passes over, we come in behind when the danger subsided, and then extinguish any sort of smoldering fires around the home, and then and try and protect that structure, as long as nothing happened to it while it passed.”
Fire Chief Chad Moore says about 30 front-line fire response vehicle and 175 people are working on the emergency scene.
The wildfire, which has been burning since Saturday, was caused by an ATV catching fire in a remote part of the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area. It is believed to have been due to an electrical or mechanical failure.
A fire ban on off-highway vehicles (OHVs), which includes ATVs, was issued Sunday — the day after the fire started — for Sturgeon County, Redwater, Legal and Bon Accord. The ban also targets recreational firepits, open fires, burn barrels, incinerators, fireworks, and chimineas.
“What we saw was on May 1, we moved to a fire restriction based on those conditions,” Moore said. “And then, once this event occurred, and we saw this larger resource draw in, that was another trigger point for us to say, now we have to go to a fire ban and add in the OHV use because of that now added a reduced capability to respond to any instance that do occur across Sturgeon County.”
The initial evacuation order — for anyone living from Range Road 213 East to Range Road 203 and between Township Road 580 South to Township Road 573 — remains in effect. “Everyone previously evacuated must remain evacuated,” the alert reads.
Affected residents are being told to gather important documents and medication and sign up for supports at the Morinville Leisure Centre. It was previously at the Pembina Place reception centre.
The expanded alert means residents east of Range Road 223 to the North Saskatchewan River and between Township Road 580 and Township Road 570 are being asked to prepare for possible evacuation.
Forty-three homes are covered by the alert area, and 70 people have registered at the reception centre.
Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw says the municipality has received support from Alberta’s provincial resource branch, Parkland, Strathcona And Lamont County, as well as Lakeland College.
“It’s been a tireless fight against some really difficult conditions, and certainly there’s been devastation that we know will last generations around here, and our heart does go out to the residents who’ve been affected,” Hnatiw said.
Thorhild County
Nearby, north of Redwater, Thorhild County issued a state of local emergency and an evacuation order for an area south of the hamlet of Radway, Alta.,
The alert is in effect for residents on Range Road 214 to 221 and Township 584 to 590; they are being asked to prepare to evacuate on short notice.
“If a mandatory evacuation order is issued you will have ONE hour to evacuate, the alert reads.
Athabasca County
Athabasca County has issued an evacuation order for an area south of the village of Boyle, Alta.
The village has declared a state of local emergency and is under an evacuation alert, with residents being told to prepare to leave by packing a bag for the next 72 hours.
Athabasca County is directing its evacuees to a reception centre at Parkland Motels II in Lac La Biche, Alta.
Parkland County
Parkland County issued a wildfire alert for everyone North of Duffield, between Township Road 530 north to Highway 16, and between Range Road 32 west to Range Road 34.
All residents are urged to avoid the area.
–With files from Carly Robinson, CityNews Edmonton
