An evacuation order was issued for Clearwater County Wednesday night due to a 200-hectare wildfire about 12 miles west of Nordegg.
Clearwater State issued an evacuation order for Snow Creek Provincial Recreation Area, Dry Haven Provincial Recreation Area, Outdoor Learning Center, Fish Lake Provincial Recreation Area, Frontier Lodge and Goldeye Lake Recreation Area and surrounding areas shortly before 9:00 p.m. o’clock
April McIntosh and her family planned to camp at Dry Haven Campground Wednesday and Thursday, but could see smoke and flames when they arrived late Wednesday afternoon.
“Everybody else was stopped, so we stopped and looked and all of a sudden it was like a little fire just started growing and growing and you could see the bomber planes going over,” she recalled.
“So within a few minutes we were like, ‘This is going to be really bad, we have to take off.’
As the family left Nordegg, they could see the air changing color in the rearview mirror.
Residents and visitors to these areas were told to leave immediately. They could move to the North Sasquatch River Park in Rocky Mountain House if necessary, according to an alert from the provincial system.
“They were all worried about the animals and the people. I guess people were leaving their campers. And that would have been us if we hadn’t gone,” McIntosh commented.
NORDEGG UNDER 2-HOUR ALERT
A two-hour evacuation alert was also issued for Nordegg. Residents and visitors were told to be ready to leave within two hours of being notified.
Wildfire Information Officer Travis Fairweather said the fire was considered out of control Wednesday evening.
“Today there is quite significant growth. It’s already over 200 hectares in size and has escaped containment, so unfortunately it’s expected to continue to grow,” he told CTV News Edmonton in a Zoom interview.
“Certainly the heat, the lack of relative humidity, as well as the winds today were big factors in the growth of this wildfire.”
Firefighters from across Alberta and possibly British Columbia are expected to arrive Thursday morning to help.
The fire started on July 19, northwest of Nordeg. It was initially thought to be contained, Fairweather said, but hot, dry, windy conditions allowed the fire to spread.
“Which is just a reminder that any time we see these hot, dry conditions, wildfires can start quickly, start easily, spread quickly, and so we just have to be very careful to eliminate any wildfires caused by man-made that are completely preventable,” he added.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Fairweather said the forecast could mean more fires this summer.
For current wildfire updates, go to wildfire.alberta.ca.
Go to 511.alberta.ca for up-to-date information on traffic reports.
To learn how you can prepare for a wildfire, visit alberta.ca/Wildfires and alberta.ca/BePrepared.
Add Comment