Alberta wildfires: Evacuation order issued for Peavine Métis Settlement

An evacuation order has been given to Peavine Métis Settlement as of 5:34 a.m. Tuesday.

The settlement is home to approximately 993 people and is 82,364 square kilometres bordering Gift Lake Métis Settlement and located within Big Lakes County, about 56 kilometres from High Prairie.

The evacuation order affects everyone in the settlement, and they are asked to leave immediately. This order was originally only for Big Lake County but has since expanded to include Peavine Métis Settlement.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The original evacuation alert was given for residents of Big Lakes County south of Township Road 740, west of Range Road 152, east of Range Road 162 and north of Township Road 730 on May 6 at around 10 a.m. This alert then turned into an evacuation order on May 6 around 2:30 p.m. The emergency alert was downgraded on May 7 back to an evacuation alert and then updated back to an evacuation order May 13 around 4:30 p.m.

Big Lakes County has a population of approximately 5,672. Evacuees of Big Lakes County are asked to go to the Elks Rodeo Hall north of High Prairie. Evacuees of Peavine Métis Settlement should go to the Kapawe’no centre in Grouard or the Smoky River FCSS in Falher.

Residents are asked to bring any important documents, medications and supplies they might need.

A list of emergency alerts and evacuation orders is available on the province’s website.