Wildfires have forced 4,500 Albertans from home as of Sunday: AEMA

CBC

2 days ago

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Several thousand Albertans are evacuated from their homes due to out-of-control wildfires, according to the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).
As of 1 p.m. MT Sunday, 52 total wildfires are burning throughout the province, about half of which are deemed out of control, according to the Alberta Wildfire dashboard.
Fires triggered eight evacuation orders combined for various communities, according to the Alberta government's website.
According to a spokesperson for AEMA, which leads and oversees all emergency and disaster response, there were 4,500 wildfire evacuees provincewide as of Sunday morning.
Multiple evacuation advisories have also been issued due to wildfires, warning people they have to be prepared to evacuate within a few hours' notice.
Smoke causing poor air quality in northern Alberta
Wildfire smoke triggered the national weather agency to issue air quality warning for northeastern Alberta Sunday morning.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued air quality statements for many northern parts of the province. But people living in the northeast quadrant, from the Wood Buffalo region south to the St. Paul area, are at an elevated risk.
Multiple out-of-control wildfires are burning in that stretch of Alberta, including the group that makes up the Red Earth East complex and a large fire southeast of Conklin, a hamlet within the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo that's about 280 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
The complex forced the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 to issue an evacuation order for people living in Red Earth Creek, a hamlet about 350 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
The ECCC warnings state smoke is causing "very poor" air quality and reduced visibility. It's possible some places may see conditions improved, but heavy smoke is expected through the weekend.
The ECCC air quality health index, which measures how safe the air is to breathe, predicts high to very high risk air in northeastern Alberta communities, like Fort McMurray, through Sunday, but it is expected to improve Monday.
In Cold Lake, however, a city about 240 kilometres northeast of Edmonton near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, the air quality is forecast to carry a high risk through Monday at least, the index suggests.
The agency's warnings say people should limit their time outdoors, including rescheduling our cancelling sports and other events.
It also says people should be wary of smoke inhalation symptoms, such as headaches, irritation in the eyes, nose or throat, and wheezing and chest pains.