Residents of Fort McMurray remain under orders to prepare to leave their homes at a moment’s notice as wildfire threatens the northeastern Alberta community.
A wildfire burning of control, 16 kilometres southwest of the community, has put residents across the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo under evacuation alert.
After a weekend that saw the fire grow rapidly amid extreme conditions, fire officials are hoping light rain and favourable winds have helped fire crews gain the upper hand.
The fire continues to burn out of control about 12 km west of Highway 63. The flames have consumed 6,579 hectares of forest along the south side of the Athabasca River valley.
Wildfire danger in the region remains extreme but overcast conditions have given firefighters a reprieve. The fire calmed overnight Sunday and favourable conditions continued Monday with scattered showers and light winds.
Officials are optimistic the relatively calm weather will hold.
Winds drive fire growth
The fire grew rapidly over the weekend, driven by parched conditions and powerful winds. On Saturday morning, it was estimated to cover 1,500 hectares. Winds pushed the wildfire southeast, away from Fort McMurray, but toward the community of Anzac.
Josee St-Onge, a spokesperson for Alberta Wildfire, said crews are now bracing for changing winds that could make the situation in Fort McMurray more critical.
A new weather system is expected to bring variable winds from the west or the southwest Monday, pushing the flames in the direction of Fort McMurray, she said.
Thanks to the work done during the break in the extreme conditions, crews are better equipped to safeguard the community, she said.
“There are containment lines in place and there are fire guards being built so all of that puts us in a better situation,” St-Onge said in an interview from Fort McMurray Monday.
“We’re pretty confident that if the wind shifts in a direction where don’t want it go that we would still be able to hold it.”
In its Sunday update, Alberta Wildfire reported that heavy equipment made progress on establishing a fire guard on the northeast side of the fire.
Six firefighting crews worked on establishing a containment line, with the support of 13 helicopters. Night vision-equipped helicopters have been dispatched to the fire’s front line each night.
Structure protection has been installed on the industrial park located at the intersection of highways 63 and 881.
Work is expected to continue Monday to set up structure protection for homes and businesses at Gregoire Lake Estates and the Fort McMurray 468 First Nation.
Over the weekend, smoke became so thick it threatened to close Highway 63, one of two routes leading south out of the community.
RCMP and provincial firefighters continue to monitor the situation but as of Monday morning, the wildfire had not moved toward the highway and the road remained open.
The fire southwest of Fort McMurray is among a handful burning across the region. A new fire was detected Monday morning about three km northeast of the Fort Chipewyan airport and about nine km northeast of the community.
That fire, which covers two hectares, is classified as out of control. Firefighters are responding and more resources are on their way to the remote hamlet, Alberta Wildfire officials said in an update Monday.
An evacuation alert remains in effect for residents of Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates, Gregoire Lake Estates, Fort McMurray First Nation 468, Anzac and Rickards Landing Industrial Park.
Grande Prairie evacuation
Weather conditions have been less favourable for crews fighting a wildfire in the County of Grande Prairie, where some residents have been ordered to leave their homes. Officials there were expecting strong winds Monday and no rain.
The Kleskun Creek fire now covers 1,382 hectares and is burning out of control about four km from the hamlet of Teepee Creek.
Dry, southeast winds were expected to fan the flames and fire behaviour is expected to increase Monday.
Crews were reinforcing a fire guard constructed over the weekend. Heavy equipment teams were also working on the fire’s perimeter and air tankers and helicopters were dropping water on flames.
Parts of the rural area were evacuated Friday night. Orders remain in place and RCMP are monitoring access to the evacuation zone.
St-Onge said Alberta has so far avoided matching the unprecedented pace and scale of last spring’s fire season but Albertans should remain vigilant.
“We’ve had some rainfall at a good time to bring down the fire danger at a time when it could have become much more escalated, so we’ve been lucky in that sense, and we’ve been able to keep the fires that started fairly small,” she said in a interview Monday.
“A bit of rain buys us some relief and some time but it doesn’t overcome drought conditions that have been here for years. We are still on alert and ready to respond to new wildfires because we will see more. We’re just getting started on the season.”
WATCH | Fort McMurray residents on edge as wildfire threatens:
As wildfires rage across Western Canada, the approaching flames triggered uneasy memories for Fort McMurray, Alta., residents, who fear a repeat of the devastating fire of 2016.