An evacuation order ended Saturday afternoon for parts of Strathcona County, a region east of Edmonton. Residents were told they had to leave their homes on Friday night as smoke from one of the fires in that region was seen drifting into Alberta’s capital, according to Alberta Emergency Alerts.
Shortly before 8 p.m., Strathcona County issued an evacuation order for everyone in the area between south of Township Road 540 and north of Township Road 534; and east of Range Road 221 and west of Range Road 215.
“This includes Pleasant View Estates and Newton Estates,” county officials said in an emergency alert. “Evacuate the area immediately.
“A large grassfire is burning in the area of Township Road 534 and Range Road 220. Emergency crews are on scene but this fire is not yet contained.”
At about 8:20 p.m., people living in the area between west of Highway 21, east of Range Road 232, south of Township Road 522 and north of Highway 14 were put on evacuation alert and told to be prepared to leave if necessary.
Edmonton firefighters were called in to help fight a fire in Strathcona County on Friday night but did not confirm the location of the fire.
A massive plume of smoke could be seen blowing in southeast Edmonton on Friday evening and the smoke could be tasted in the air in the area.
A spokesperson for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said they did not have details about the fire but confirmed three trucks from the fire department were helping Strathcona County firefighters battle a blaze.
“(It is) being noticed quite far into the city because of the winds,” the EFRS spokesperson said.
In a tweet posted just after 7 p.m., Strathcona County said a fire was burning “near the intersection of Highway 21 and Township Road 520,”
Officials said Highway 21 was closed between Township Road 520 and Township Road 522 in both directions.
“Residents in the area should be prepared to leave the area if needed,” officials tweeted.
Shortly after 5 p.m., a tweet from the Strathcona County account warned of a “large grassfire” burning in the area of Township Road 534 and Range Road 220.
“Strathcona County is advising people to prepare to leave the area,” officials tweeted at the time.
The fire is one of dozens burning across various parts of Alberta as unseasonably hot, dry and windy conditions have seen multiple wildfires impact communities. A number of larger communities in Alberta were ordered to evacuate on Thursday and Friday, including Fox Lake, Drayton Valley and most recently Edson.
More to come…