Western Canada wildfires: 26 Alberta blazes deemed out of control, some oilsands sites emptying

National Post

01-06-2025

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Friday
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As of Friday, the province listed seven wildfires of note, up three from Thursday morning numbers — the Edith Lake wildfire, Red Earth East Complex (made up of a number of wildfires near the community of Chipewyan Lake), a wildfire south of Winefred Lake, a wildfire west of Mercoal, a wildfire east of Peerless Trout First Nation, a wildfire near Whitefish Lake First Nation only 5 kilometres from a nearby highway and a wildfire near Marten Beach.
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The fire near Marten Beach has crossed the Highway 88 and the roadway has been closed at Highway 754 north of Slave Lake.
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Firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment are deployed at all fires of note, with airtankers using retardant drops to build containment lines and some crews using night vision-equipped helicopters to contain fires overnight.
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Residents of Westlock County and the Loon Lake, Peerless Trout and Dene Tha First Nations were fleeing wildfires after evacuation orders were issued Thursday, as were inhabitants of Red Earth Creek.
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Underlining the gravity of the situation at Red Earth Creek, Alberta Wildfire officials warned the evacuation route to Peace River on Highway 88 was being menaced by flames 'and the status could change at any moment . . . you may experience smoky conditions on the Highway to Peace River.'
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Conklin was put on alert for possible evacuation Thursday afternoon, with an out-of-control blaze spreading toward the community.
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Meanwhile, the Whitefish River Community was also on evacuation notice, due to concern over shifting winds that might cause a nearby wildfire change direction and put residents at risk.
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About 1,300 residents of Swan Hills evacuated earlier this week to nearby Whitecourt in the face of fires that also disrupted oilfield operations.
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Other Alberta communities, including the Village of Boyle and Thorhild County, issued local state of emergencies in May as a result of fast-moving and out-of-control fires.
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Thursday
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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has declared a provincial state of emergency in response to several rapidly spreading wildfires that have forced thousands of people to evacuate their northern communities.
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Moe made the announcement Thursday to begin a wildfire update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
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'It's a very serious situation that we're faced with …,' Moe told the media. 'There are no resources on the shelf. They're all being deployed to support Saskatchewan.'
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Following a similar announcement by Manitoba on Wednesday, Saskatchewan became the second province in as many days to declare a state of emergency.
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As of Thursday, more than 8,300 people from northern Saskatchewan were under evacuation. In Manitoba, that number is 17,000 people — the largest wildfire evacuation in recent memory, according to Premier Wab Kinew.
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My buddy sent these to me last night... The entire town of Flin Flon, MB 🇨🇦 is now on mandatory evacuation... He has a hunting, outback and fishing business in the direct line of the fire
Please send Prayers for everyone affected by the Flin Flon Wildfires 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/fqbwbiXbWM
— lisahsmithlhs (@lisahsmithlhs) May 28, 2025
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B.C. has sent crews and resources to both prairie provinces, as well as Ontario, to assist in fire-fighting efforts, according to the province's Minister of Forests.
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Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management, Community Resilience and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan, has approved Manitoba's request for federal assistance and said crews will assisting with urgent air evacs as well as any other supports needed. Additionally, Olszewski will be meeting with Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan's Minister of Public Safety, to discuss the response to Saskatchewan's fire situation.
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We have an update on @BCGovFireInfo support for our neighbours out East:
We are deploying another 50+ BCWS fighters to Manitoba, in addition to the nearly 100 in Ontario.
We're also sending resources to Saskatchewan, in response to wildfire activity. #TeamCanada #BCWS pic.twitter.com/XCC5zo0b7H
— Ravi Parmar (@rparmar_BC) May 29, 2025
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With below-normal snowpacks during the winter and predicted summer-time drought conditions hitting various parts of Canada, the wildfire season could be a difficult one. Already, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency to help protect people from raging flames and significant evacuations of northern communities in both provinces have seen thousands of people forced to flee their homes.
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'This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans' living memory and this will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government,' says Manitoba premier Wab Kinew. Already, two people have died in wildfires in that province.
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In Alberta, evacuation orders are also increasing in the northern part of the province as out-of-control fires rage.
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'Wildland fire activity is significant within one or more jurisdictions,' CIFFC says. 'Firefighters and equipment in every jurisdiction is put to use, and international help has been requested.'
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In Alberta, go to alberta.ca/wildfire-status. That's where you'll find a wildfire map, dashboard of incidents and forest area updates.
In British Columbia, the daily wildfire update is at wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map.
In Saskatchewan, the active wildifre situation map can be found here and reports on bans along with fire bulletins are here.
In Manitoba, wildfire information, reports and updates are here.
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What do the different wildfire statuses mean?
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Turned over: Alberta Wildfire says a wildfire is 'turned over' when a fire that is under control is given to another agency to extinguish it.
Mutual aid: If a fire is a 'mutual aid wildfire,' it's a wildfire that has started in a municipal district and that district's firefighters may need help fighting it from Alberta Wildfire.
Under control: If firefighters and equipment have successfully managed a fire to make sure it won't grow, it's classified as being 'under control.'
Being held: Based on expected weather and the resources already fighting a particular fire, a fire that is 'being held' means it's not expected to spread.
Out of control: A wildfire is growing, or expected to grow, and thus its status is one of being out of control.
Source: Government of Alberta
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How can I help prevent wildfires?
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The number of wildfires caused by humans vs. lightning strikes has varied over the years, but Natural Resources Canada reports that in 2023 lightning caused about 50 per cent of all fires. Those fires, however, represented, about 85 per cent of the annual area consumed by flames.
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When it comes to human-caused fires, wildfire experts provide some straightforward advice. Start by being familiar with campfire safety. Use designated fire pits and don't start a fire near an abundance of nearby potential fuel. Keep the fire sheltered from the wind; keep water nearby in case of emergency; and, ensure all fires are extinguished each night.
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If you're in a rural area, ensure you know how to safely burn vegetation or brush or understand how to use burn barrels.
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Rules for everyone? Don't flick smoking materials onto the ground or out a vehicle's window. Obey all fire bans. Avoid use of explosive materials like fireworks.
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