Part of Clearwater County evacuated due to ‘rapidly spreading’ wildfire

A wildfire alert was issued Thursday afternoon for Clearwater County, northwest of Red Deer.

RCMP in central Alberta says part of Clearwater County has been evacuated due to a wildfire in the area burning out of control.

Alberta emergency alerts sent out a wildfire alert just after 4 p.m. Thursday for an area in Clearwater County, southwest of Red Deer.

In an email at 8:18 p.m. Thursday, Sundre RCMP said that a 10-kilometre radius of Crown land was evacuated due to a “rapidly spreading, out of control wildfire.”

It added blockades have been set up near the corners of Highways 734 and 591. the corner of Coal Camp Road and Highway 734, as well as on Highway 584 East of Highway 34.

Nobody is allowed to enter those areas while emergency crews respond, Mounties said.