At least 10 wildfires are burning out of control in Alberta, and the massive blaze that has forced the evacuation of High Level is nearing h
At least 10 wildfires are burning out of control in Alberta, and the massive blaze that has forced the evacuation of High Level is nearing half the size of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire.
The Chuckegg Creek fire near High Level has grown to approximately 280,000 hectares, up from 237,000 hectares on Thursday, according to provincial officials. The devastating Fort McMurray wildfire consumed 589,000 hectares.
About 14 homes in the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement were destroyed by the fire on Thursday. No homes or businesses have been damaged in High Level, but the risk remains, according to Saturday’s update.
Derek Gagnon, provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire, told CTV News Channel on Saturday that the fire continues to push south.
“It’s still been active in pushing south. It’s still a very active wildfire, it’s just more to the south now,” he said.
Many of the people who have been evacuated from High Level are being accommodated in nearby staging centres, Gagnon said. He hopes wet weather will dampen the fire.
“We’re always hopeful about the forecast when they say things like showers or rain and we do see those words come up a few times in the forecast for northern Alberta over the next few days,” Gagnon added from Edmonton.
“But really until we see the rain fall on the wildfires the forecast doesn’t really do us much good. We have to get the drops in the bucket and that way we’re going to knock down that fire intensity to a less extreme level and really get a better ability to get these fires contained.”
In its Saturday update, the province noted that there is a chance of thunderstorms and gusty winds in the forecast for the High Level area, which could makes the situation worse.
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