In the last few hours, Danielle Smith has convened an Emergency Ministers Committee. It is due to meet again around 3pm local time on Saturday to decide whether or not to trigger the province’s state of emergency.
We will spend whatever is necessary, she said at a news conference on Saturday, noting that the province allocated $1.5 billion in the last budget for such emergencies.
Several regions in the province have already declared local states of emergency, and evacuation orders have affected thousands of people. More than thirty fires are still not under control. The total number of evacuees is estimated at over 24,000, another 5,200 people must be able to be evacuated at any time.
According to provincial government data, almost a quarter (22.6%) of raging fires were caused by human activity, while lightning is believed to be the cause of 8% of them. The causes of the other fires are still under investigation.
Other villages were evacuated on Saturday
The community of Rainbow Lake, in the far northwest of the province, near the British Columbia border, is under an immediate evacuation order.
Communities between Fox Creek and Little Smokey, 160 miles northwest of Edmonton, were also evacuated Saturday morning. The 1700 inhabitants of these villages have to go to Whitecourt, where a reception center has been opened. Those who do not have access to a vehicle can go to Fox Creek Community Center where buses will take them to Whitecourt.
More than thirty uncontrolled fires
As of Saturday morning, 10 blazes in forest reserves across the province were classified as significant.
Near Drayton Valley, a fire estimated at 1,500 hectares employs 26 firefighters and several aircraft.
Near Fox Lake, a 4,383-acre fire resulted in the evacuation of about 3,600 people, including 115 by helicopter. Evacuees are advised to report to High Level.
A 500-acre blaze is keeping 24 firefighters, several planes and other emergency vehicles on edge near Rainbow Lake.
A 2254-acre fire is raging on both sides of Highway 22 about 7 km northwest of Evansburg. Teams spent the night trying to stop it from spreading north.
A 950-acre fire has resulted in an evacuation order being placed on residents on the east side of the Pembina River, southeast of Entwistle.
In Big Lakes County, about 22 miles south of Swan River First Nation, a five-acre fire prompted authorities to issue an evacuation alert. Those affected should be prepared to leave their homes quickly if this warning turns into an evacuation order.
Two blazes, one 19,811 acres and the other about 1,500 acres, may soon merge south of Lesser Slave Lake.
About 20 km from O’Chiese First Nation territory, a fire is consuming 12 hectares, while another fire of a similar size is raging near the Stoney Nakoda First Nation’s Big Horn Reservation.
Eventually, a 24,000-acre fire 27 miles southeast of Edson forced the evacuation of oil workers and a campground.
Smoke affects air quality
Smoke from the fires prompted Environment Canada to issue a special air quality bulletin for the following areas:
Drayton Valley – Devon – Rimbey – Pigeon Lake
Fort McMurray-Fort MacKay
Grande Prairie – Beaverlodge – Valley View
High Level – Rainbow Lake – Fort Vermilion – Mackenzie Hwy
Hinton – Big Cache
Peace River-Fairview-High Prairie-Manning
Rocky Mountain House – Carolina
slave lake
Spruce Grove-Morinville-Mayerthorpe-Evansburg
Wabasca – Peerless Lake – Gift Lake – Cadotte Lake
Whitecourt-Edson-Fox Creek-Swan Hills
Poor air quality poses a low to moderate risk in most affected areas. According to Environment Canada, outdoor activity shelters are not currently required unless you have symptoms such as a cough and sore throat.
However, the Edson, Hinton, Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo areas have a high health risk air quality warning in place for Saturday. Environment Canada recommends avoiding strenuous outdoor activities and reducing or postponing planned outdoor activities.