Some residents allowed to return home after wildfire evacuation northwest of Edmonton

An evacuation order was issued on May 11, 2026 in Woodlands County due to an out-of-control wildfire burning near Whitecourt. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)

Some residents will be returning to their homes Thursday after being forced to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire burning in Woodlands County.

The fire, which is now classified as being held and is not expected to grow, started as a grassfire on May 11, about 3.5 kilometres southeast of the town of Whitecourt.

An evacuation order was issued the next day, prompting more than 100 people to leave their homes.

Residents living in Zone 3 are allowed to return home as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

A notice from Woodlands County said that evacuees will need to obtain resident passes and waiver forms at the reception centre and be prepared to show staff identification at re-entry points.

Zone 1 and 2 are not open for re-entry as safety assessments continue.

The wildfire danger remains extreme for the Whitecourt area as high winds gust up to 50 km/h.

However, Alberta Wildfire said cloud cover, cooler temperatures and high relative humidity has helped firefighters eliminate hotspots near homes.