A new evacuation order was issued for the central Alberta community of Entwistle on Thursday night because of the threat posed by a wildfire near the hamlet.
Just one day earlier, a previous evacuation order for the Parkland County community had been lifted and all remaining evacuees west of Range Road 65 near Entwistle were told they could return home.
The new evacuation order on Thursday came via an emergency alert issued by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
“There is a wildfire near the hamlet of Entwistle,” the AEMA said. “Everyone in the area west of Range Road 65 to the Pembina River, north of Township Road 530 to Highway 16, including all residents of Entwistle must evacuate immediately.”
Entwistle is about a one-hour drive west of Edmonton.
Allan Gamble, the mayor of Parkland County, said the fire jumped the fireguard and has more than doubled in size as of Friday. The fire is about 950 hectares, according to Alberta Wildfire.
“The fire is still moving in a northwest direction towards the hamlet of Entwhistle,” said Gamble.
“At this point our fire services are deploying a defensive strategy,” he said.
“We are protecting the borders around Entwistle and taking measures to ensure that there is structural safety.”
According to Gamble, about 750 residents in Parkland County were affected by the evacuation order, and that about the same number of people were under an evacuation order in neighbouring Yellowhead County.
“It’s imperative in these times that all residents do follow the evacuation orders,” he said. “It’s also important and a reminder that we are in a full fire ban right now.
“We encourage residents to avoid any activity that could cause a spark or a fire, that being ATVs, cigarette butts etc. Please be observant and call 911 if you see anything suspicious.”
Gamble also said “despite the risks, firefighters show up time and time again to help” and expressed his gratitude for those working to mitigate the wildfire threat to communities.
The AEMA said people leaving their homes should flee with pets, important documents, medicine and enough food and water “to be away from home for at least three days.”
Evacuees were being asked to head to the Wabamun Jubilee Hall at 5132 53 Ave. in Wabamun, Alta. Anyone who needs help leaving their home is asked to call 780-203-3258.
Highway 16, also known as the Yellowhead, is closed from Highway 43 to Highway 753 to allow crews access to the blaze.
Traffic is being rerouted north on Highway 43.
Many smaller roads in the area are open to local traffic only. Road closures can be found on 511 Alberta.
The latest evacuation order came amid another day of unseasonably hot and windy conditions in the province that saw other communities also be issued alerts and thousands of people in the northwestern Alberta community of Fox Lake be forced to leave their homes.
Wildfire situation in Parkland County remains precarious
Other wildfires continued to burn in Parkland County on Thursday night. In an update issued at 6:15 p.m., county officials said fire crews continue to battle “the Range Road 70 wildfire” where a state of local emergency remains in effect.
“To those in the immediate fire zone, the fire is continuing to be active with the shifts in wind direction making it difficult to predict flare-ups,” the county said. “As the situation could change quickly, please stay aware of your surroundings and speak with crews in the area for updates.”
A wildfire burning north of Highway 16 and on both sides of Highway 22 — about seven kilometres northwest of Evansburg — continued to be classided as “out of control” on Thursday. County officials said that blaze had grown to about 2,300 hectares in size, but is about 65 per cent contained.
County officials said heavy equipment, along with six helicopters and more firefighters, were expected to begin helping the 64 firefighters who were already fighting the flames there.
“An incident management team from Alberta Wildfire assumed command of the incident last night,” the county said on its website. “A structural protection unit has been deployed at the wildfire and is working with Yellowhead County.”
More to come…