Wildfire near Redwater still out of control

CTV Edmonton: Crews dealing with two wildfires Fire crews are dealing with two major wildfires, one that has left about 200 evacuated, the other is more than 600 acres in size.

Strathcona County officials said firefighters are making progress in efforts to battle a blaze northeast of Edmonton, although the fire is still considered out of control.

Officials said Wednesday night’s cool conditions allowed crews to make progress in fighting the blaze, and the affected area has been completely surrounded with a ploughed fire guard.

As a result, the fire is considered held, and not yet under control.

Firefighters working on the blaze are now dealing with hotspots, officials said, as opposed to acres of wildfire.

At last word, the wildfire that was first reported to officials Tuesday at about 1 p.m., in the area of Township Road 564 and Range Road 213A was about 640 acres in size.

Despite its size, residents living near Highway 14 were never under an evacuation order, although officials said they were keeping residents informed on the status of the fire.

The county said they’re expected to keep crews on the ground Thursday, and into Friday – rain forecast for Friday and Saturday is expected to help in the fire fight.