‘Intense fire behaviour’ expected as firefighters make progress in evacuated county northwest of Edmonton

One house has burned down and more than 100 people have been evacuated as a result of a wildfire burning out of control near Whitecourt.

The more than 100 Woodlands County residents forced to evacuate for an out-of-control wildfire in the area are still being kept in a neighbouring Alberta town, as crews work against changing wind conditions.

• Read more: Wildfire evacuation order issued for county northwest of Edmonton

One residence has been destroyed and 123 homes have had power shut off so far due to an ongoing fire southeast of the Town of Whitecourt, officials say.

Although firefighters, aircraft and equipment were making good progress, there was still work to be done and the fire remained out of control, Alberta Wildfire said.

“Today, wind conditions are light at 10 km/h and blowing out of the southwest but switching southeast later in the evening,” according to an update made to the Woodlands County social media.

“These are crossover conditions, which means that the temperature is higher than the relative humidity. These conditions can create more intense fire behaviour.”

The grass-fire-turned-wildfire south of Highway 43 in the West Ridge area began burning Monday afternoon.

By that evening, people in the area were told to gather their pets, important documents and medications and leave immediately. They have since registered at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre in Whitecourt.

The wildfire was 3.5 km southeast of the 10,000-person town and thought to be moving away to the east well into Tuesday. The wind’s direction, however, could change around 6 p.m., said Alberta Wildfire information officer Colby Lachance.

Should the fire be pushed west toward Whitecourt, Lachance says crews along containment lines on the perimeter of the wildfire would call in air tankers and reinforcements.

Municipal firefighters were deployed alongside the provincial crews to form a containment line with heavy equipment overnight to take advantage of cooler temperatures in maintaining the perimeter of the fire. Structure protection is in place to reduce damage to homes and infrastructure.

“Right now, it’s a little bit more subdued,” Lachance told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s lots of smoke in the area, but we’re not seeing that large column that we did yesterday, and that’s just due to the good work of the crews and our municipal partners.”

She added the nature of the wildfire’s spread would depend on Tuesday’s “peak burn period,” which she estimates to be between 4 and 8 p.m. as warm May temperatures rise.

‘Touch and go’

Evacuees like Tammy Rivard were trying to stay occupied Tuesday as the county couldn’t confirm when home would become accessible again.

“Woodlands County understands residents are eager to return home, and we are working toward that as quickly and safely as possible. At this time, we do not anticipate residents returning today,” said a social media statement Tuesday morning.

Rivard fled to her business in Whitecourt to escape her home in the wildfire’s vicinity. She says many of her neighbours have pets they couldn’t retrieve in the frenzy of evacuation.

“My heart goes out to them, because my animals mean the world to me. With all the bombers going, I bet you they’re just scared,” she told CTV News Edmonton Tuesday.

“I hope that everybody that had livestock out there got all their livestock out, because they didn’t have a lot of time. Those are all dead end roads out there, so they only had one way to evacuate.”

Lachance says Alberta Wildfire would make recommendations on reopening homes based on the situation, but the county ultimately has the final say in bringing back evacuees.

There was also no update available on power to affected homes. Fortis Alberta, the group responsible for power shutoffs, said it would begin restoration work as soon as it was safe to do so in an update Tuesday afternoon.

With news trickling in and an ongoing situation, Rivard now worries for the future of her community.

“It’s really touch and go today …. Our forest outside of Whitecourt is probably very old, and right now it’s just a little tinderbox because all that old grass is still there,” she said. “It scares me.”

Although the cause of this wildfire is under investigation, Lachance says everyone should be aware of their part in fire prevention, especially ahead of the long weekend.

“If you’re out this weekend, we encourage you to soak it, stir it, soak it again. Make sure your campfires are fully extinguished, and if you see any smoke or flame in the forest, call 310-FIRE (3473),” she said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg

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