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The welcome return of rain to Alberta’s skies could represent a “turning point” in the battle against numerous large wildfires, although provincial authorities are hoping to see much greater precipitation in the next couple of days. Read More
Almost every wildfire in Alberta except those in the far north received at least some rain Sunday and Monday, said Christie Tucker, information unit manager for Alberta Wildfire. Firefighters’ efforts on the ground are not only helped by the moisture itself but also by the cooler temperatures and higher humidity that accompanies it, she said.
“It helps to weaken fire behaviour, so even if wildfires haven’t received rain on every part of the fire it can create conditions that will make it easier to fight the fire,” Tucker told a news conference Monday afternoon.
“This (rain) could be a turning point for the firefighters working out there. The majority of the large-scale wildfires that are burning in Alberta have received some rain since (Sunday), which is very good news. We want more rain rather than less, but we’ll take what we can get.”
Forecasts for the province show the possibility of heavier rainfall to hit much of central Alberta between late Monday and Wednesday.
“Potentially the forest fuels, the vegetation, will be collecting that moisture and it will make them more resilient in the weeks to come,” Tucker said.
The improving conditions have raised hopes that certain communities may soon be able to welcome back residents who have been under evacuation orders for two weeks or more. However, officials say it’s still too soon to say when that might happen.
“Every community has to do an analysis of what hazards are still present,” said Bre Hutchinson, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency. “So we work closely with local officials to determine if hazards have been removed to point that it is safe for communities to re-enter.
Air quality improves but still risky
After suffering through some of the worst air quality on the planet for most of the May long weekend, Edmontonians received a bit of reprieve Monday.
The Air Quality Health Index was rated at a 7 as of noon on Monday in Edmonton, but that worsened to a score of 9 by late afternoon. Those ratings are considered “high risk,” but are below the score of 10+ that beset the city and many other communities in Alberta the previous few days.
Those smoky conditions were noted by the World Air Quality Index — a non-profit that tracks monitoring stations around the globe — as among the most extreme on Earth.
Unfortunately, the 10+ rating was forecast to return to many communities in Alberta, including Edmonton, late Monday before somewhat subsiding again on Tuesday.
City to close reception centre
The reception centre established by the City of Edmonton to help Drayton Valley and Brazeau County fire evacuees is set to close after 19 days in operation.
The venue at the Expo Centre on the former Northlands grounds will shut down on Tuesday at 4 p.m., the city said in a news release Monday.
“As other municipalities and counties across the province have adequate resources and capacity to accommodate evacuees in their communities, Edmonton’s reception centre is no longer required,” the release stated.
Since the centre’s opening on May 5, nearly 3,100 Albertans have been registered and offered support. The reception centre provided more than 10,000 meals, offered 275 sleeping cots and arranged hotel bookings for more than 500 households. A variety of services and supplies were also provided, including clothing, hygiene products, showers, laundry facilities and animal care.
Approximately 1,700 pets were taken in and out, and 336 were registered.
The centre was operated by the city’s Emergency Support Response Team, which can quickly reactivate it if the need arises, the city said.
“We are pleased that we were able to answer the call and help our neighbours in Drayton Valley and Brazeau County when they needed it most,” city manager Andre Corbould said in the news release. “Good neighbours look after each other and that’s what we did.”
Wildfire battle continues
Despite the rain, the fire danger is still rated very high to extreme in northern Alberta, and high to very high on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. A total of 16 evacuation orders remain in place affecting more than 10,870 Albertans.
Alberta surpassed the grim milestone of 500 wildfires for the season on Sunday and that number rose to 512 on Victoria Day. Those blazes have together burned close to 945,000 hectares. On Monday there were 81 active wildfires, of which 23 were out of control.
A total of 400 Canadian Armed Forces members are now assisting with firefighting duties, primarily by putting out hot spots and shoring up fire guards. More than 1,700 provincial firefighting staff worked over the weekend alongside more than 1,000 firefighters from across the continent from Alaska to New Brunswick.
Tucker said requests have been submitted to bring in even more personnel in the coming days.
Parks and recreation areas closed, fire ban remains
Several provincial parks and recreation areas remain shut down. A full list of closures is available at alberta.ca/emergency.aspx.
Officials are also asking Albertans to avoid outdoor recreation activities such as backcountry camping, mountain biking and hiking in areas including Edson, Grande Prairie, High Level, Peace River, Slave Lake and Whitecourt forest areas, as well as the Rocky Mountain House forest area located north of Highway 11.
A fire ban remains in place in Edmonton and across the forest protection area, prohibiting fires on public and private land including in backyards. An off-highway vehicle restriction is also in effect, including quads, side-by-sides, dirt bikes, jeeps, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
Financial aid is available to evacuees who have been out of their homes for at least seven total days. Evacuees can apply using a verified Alberta.ca account.
Every night at 7:30 p.m. the province is holding a telephone town hall for evacuees to ask questions and connect residents. Evacuees can call 1-833-380-0691 to participate.
Wildfires of note
These are the latest numbers on Alberta’s major out-of-control wildfires as of Monday afternoon.
The Deep Creek fire (WCU-001) in Yellowhead and Parkland County is an estimated 7,058 hectares
WCU-002 in Yellowhead County is an estimated 2,401 hectares
EWF-031, located 14 kilometres southeast of Edson, is an estimated 113,244 hectares
EWF-035, three kilometres southeast of Shining Bank, is an estimated 20,996 hectares
RWF-034 threatening O’Chiese First Nation is an estimated 82,869 hectares
RWF-040, about six kilometres northeast of Brown Creek Provincial Recreational Area, is an estimated 4,544 hectares
The Eagle fire, (WWF-023), about one kilometre from Fox Creek, is an estimated 72,830 hectares
GWF-017, located three kilometres southeast of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, is being held at an estimated 5,272 hectares
GWF-018, located five kilometres east of Cleardale, is an estimated 47,266 hectares
The Bald Mountain fire (GWF-019), 50 kilometres south of Grande Prairie and has crossed Bald Mountain Road, is an estimated 19,435 hectares
GWF-023, about 10 kilometres northeast of Valleyview, is an estimated 3,869 hectares
GWF-027, in the Municipal District of Greenview, is an estimated 54,274 hectares
PWF-038, about 17 kilometres northeast of Three Creeks, is an estimated 6,130 hectares
SWF-057, about 30 kilometres southwest of Slave Lake, is an estimated 16,728 hectares
SWF-060, on the east side of Utikuma Lake, is an estimated 35,000 hectares
SWF-063, near East Prairie Métis Settlement, is an estimated 123,670 hectares
SWF-064, more than 40 kilometres northwest of Swan Hills, is an estimated 40,060 hectares
SWF-068, near Peavine Métis Settlement, is an estimated 108,889 hectares
SWF-081, which has reached Chipewyan Lakes, is an estimated 19,499 hectares
The Paskwa fire (HWF-030), located in Fox Lake, is an estimated 72,565 hectares
The Long Lake fire (HWF-036), threatening Rainbow Lake and Chateh, is an estimated 119,597 hectares
SWF-085, SWF-086, SWF-087, located 5 km west of Smith and 30 km east of Slave Lake, are an estimated 39, 4,795 and 1,036 hectares, respectively.
