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CBC
28-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Dangerous fire conditions expected as fight to save Swan Hills continues
Social Sharing Extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds are expected to fuel a wildfire that has put a northern Alberta town under threat and forced hundreds of people from their homes. A red flag watch is in effect for regions across the province, including Swan Hills, signalling a volatile and potentially dangerous day for crews battling the flames of an out-of-control wildfire burning eight kilometres away. Red flag watches are issued by Alberta Wildfire meteorologists when intense and dangerous conditions are expected to develop. The watches are issued as a warning to wildland crews that critical weather conditions are developing, including significant changes in wind speed or direction, that could lead to extreme fire behaviour. Hot, dry, and unstable weather patterns are expected today leading to strong crossover conditions. 'Not an average summer day' The Edith Lake wildfire sparked on Sunday and spread rapidly due to unpredictable winds and tinder-dry fuels. By Monday evening, 1,300 residents of the town were ordered to flee south as the flames drew closer. On Tuesday afternoon, as temperatures grew sweltering, fanning the fire's eastern flank, the flames breached the highway north of town. The fire continues to spread. In an update Wednesday, emergency officials said the fire has now burned 3,629 hectares, up from around 2,300 hectares the day before. On Wednesday, crews are expected to focus on containing the southeast side of the wildfire in the area where it crossed Highway 33, which remains closed. WATCH | Wildfires trigger evacuations across Western Canada: Wildfires trigger evacuations across Western Canada 15 hours ago Duration 2:00 The current red flag watch was issued for Wednesday and Thursday's burning periods. Most of the province remains under an extreme heat warning and unforgiving temperatures are expected to fuel the fire activity in Swan Hills. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal, with highs between 25 C and 32 C in regions across the province. The forecast also warns of strong south-southeast winds across the province, with gusts up to 45 km/h in the western boreal forest and northern east slopes by Wednesday afternoon. Red flag conditions are expected to continue Thursday as another cold front moves in from B.C. Wildfire expert Mike Flannigan said the campaign to contain a fire often hinges on the weather, but more specifically the wind. Extreme winds blowing across the province this week, triggered by a cold front moving across the west, continues to cause problems for crews on the frontline. "These extreme events really drive the fire world," said Flannigan, the scientific director of Thompson Rivers University's Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency in Kamloops, B.C. "It's not an average summer day. It's those hot, dry, windy days. And if you have ignition, away we go." More than 40 fires are burning across Alberta Wednesday morning, but Alberta Wildfire has said the blaze near Swan Hills is a priority. Firefighters, supported by helicopters, air tankers, and heavy equipment, continue to fight the fire. A provincial incident command team has arrived and will be co-ordinating response efforts. Jeff Goebel, a councillor for the town of Swan Hills, said local and provincial crews are doing all they can to contain the flames. Goebel, who has lived in Swan Hills since 1985, said the community is familiar with the threat of fire and faced a previous evacuation in 2023 when residents fled as smoke and ash filled the sky. This evacuation was calmer and less unsettled, he said. But that familiarity has not brought comfort to displaced residents, he added. Many are worried about the homes they left behind and can't help but think of other Alberta communities that have been devastated by wildfire in recent years, Goebel said. "We went through this before," he said. "But there's always worry. "You see the news reports from other places and unfortunately, that's fresh in people's minds: Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, Jasper. Those images are imprinted in people's minds." 'Our new reality' Flannigan is expecting to see more fire on the landscape this summer in Alberta and across the Prairies. He said the season began with campaigns to contain fires that had sparked the previous year and burned through the winter. Meteorologists caution that this summer will be warmer and drier than average, bringing drought-like conditions that will escalate the fire risk. It has already proved a difficult season across the west, particularly along the Ontario-Manitoba boundary, where wildfires have already offered a preview of the risks at play this summer. Several communities have evacuated in recent days as fast-moving fires tear across the region. In Saskatchewan, at least 4,000 people have evacuated their homes and communities due to aggressive wildfires in the northern reaches of the province. With the community of Flin Flon on the verge of evacuation, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said people should be prepared to lend a hand to evacuees as wildfires threaten his province. Weather Network meteorologist Doug Gillham cautioned that the summer's hot and sunny forecast highlights "that you can get too much of a good thing." The big picture forecast has some similarities to the summer of 2021, Gillham said. That year Western Canada saw drought, wildfires, water shortages and a deadly heat wave over British Columbia. Drought could be a serious concern across the southern part of the Prairies along with warmer-than-normal temperatures for northern parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Gillham said. Flannigan said challenging days on the fire line are becoming more common as wildfire seasons grow longer, and more extreme. "This is our new reality. We're going to see more fire and smoke," he said. "Because of the warmer temperatures, we're seeing drier fuels, so it's easier for fires to start and spread. And more of that fuel is available to burn, which leads to higher-intensity fires, which are difficult to impossible to extinguish."
CBC
28-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Dangerous fire conditions expected to develop as fight to save Swan Hills continues
Extreme heat, low humidity, and strong winds are expected to fuel a wildfire that has put a northern Alberta town under threat and forced hundreds of people from their homes. A red flag watch is in effect for regions across the province, including Swan Hills, signalling a volatile and potentially dangerous day for crews battling the flames of an out-of-control wildfire burning eight kilometres away. Red flag watches are issued by Alberta Wildfire meteorologists when intense and dangerous conditions are expected to develop. The watches are issued as a warning to wildland crews that critical weather conditions are developing, including significant changes in wind speed or direction, that could lead to extreme fire behaviour. Hot, dry, and unstable weather patterns are expected today leading to strong crossover conditions. 'Not an average summer day' The Edith Lake wildfire sparked on Sunday and spread rapidly due to unpredictable winds and tinder-dry fuels. By Monday evening, 1,300 residents of the town were ordered to flee south as the flames drew closer and smoke made the highway north of town impassable. The fire continues to spread and has now burned close to 2,300 hectares. WATCH | Wildfires trigger evacuations across Western Canada: Wildfires trigger evacuations across Western Canada 14 hours ago Duration 2:00 Evacuation orders are in effect across parts of Western Canada as warm, dry conditions fuel several out-of-control wildfires from Manitoba to British Columbia, forcing thousands to flee. The current red flag watch was issued for Wednesday and Thursday's burning periods. Most of the province remains under an extreme heat warning and unforgiving temperatures are expected to fuel the fire activity in Swan Hills. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above seasonal, with highs between 25 C and 32 C in regions across the province. The forecast also warns of strong south-southeast winds across the province, with gusts up to 45 km/h in the western boreal forest and northern east slopes by Wednesday afternoon. Red flag conditions are expected to continue Thursday as another cold front moves in from B.C. Wildfire expert Mike Flannigan said the campaign to contain a fire often hinges on the weather, but more specifically the wind. Extreme winds blowing across the province this week, triggered by a cold front moving across the west, continues to cause problems for crews on the frontline. "These extreme events really drive the fire world," said Flannigan, the scientific director of Thompson Rivers University's Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency in Kamloops, B.C. "It's not an average summer day. It's those hot, dry, windy days. And if you have ignition, away we go." More than 40 fires are burning across Alberta Wednesday morning, but Alberta Wildfire has said the blaze near Swan Hills is a priority. Firefighters, supported by helicopters, air tankers, and heavy equipment, continue to fight the fire. A provincial incident command team has arrived and will be co-ordinating response efforts. Night vision-equipped helicopters and heavy equipment will continue to work through the night to strengthen containment lines and support ongoing suppression efforts. 'Our new reality' Flannigan is expecting to see more fire on the landscape this summer in Alberta and across the Prairies. He said the season began with campaigns to contain fires that had sparked the previous year and burned through the winter. The long-term forecast calls for drought-like conditions and elevated temperatures. He said challenging days are becoming more common as wildfire seasons grow longer, and more extreme. "This is our new reality. We're going to see more fire and smoke," he said. "Because of the warmer temperatures, we're seeing drier fuels, so it's easier for fires to start and spread. And more of that fuel is available to burn, which leads to higher-intensity fires, which are difficult to impossible to extinguish."
CBC
27-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Crews prepare for challenging day as wildfire forces evacuation in northern Alberta
Fire crews are preparing for challenging day as a wildfire encroaches on the town of Swan Hills in northern Alberta. An evacuation order was issued Monday night as the flames of the Edith Lake wildfire drew closer to the town of more than 1,300 people. A wildfire detected Sunday is now burning out of control just seven kilometres from the edge of the town, which is nestled in the boreal forest about 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The blaze, fanned by powerful and unpredictable winds, has burned close to 2,300 hectares since it was first spotted. A provincial fire weather forecast is predicting gusty and shifting winds and rising temperatures on Tuesday and the national fire danger is listed as extreme across much of the north. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, there were 11 out-of-control wildfires in Alberta, the majority in the north of the province. In an interview Tuesday, Mayor of Whitecourt Tom Pickard said 705 evacuees have registered at the reception centre at Allan & Jean Millar Centre. Some are staying in town at local hotels. Many are headed to area campgrounds, he said. He said town staff worked closely with emergency officials through the night. He said the evacuation and the convoy went smoothly and they were told evacuees made their way safely south. "The convoy and evacuation was very orderly " Whitecourt has hosted wildfire evacuees before in 2023, when their northern neighbours, including residents of Swan Hills, were ordered out. He said residents have again stepped up providing food and shelter to those in need. Town residents had been placed under a one-hour evacuation notice earlier Monday and were warned that changing winds could force them to flee. As the fire grew in the afternoon, thick smoke from the nearby flames forced the closure of Highway 33 to the north. A thunderstorm moved in Monday afternoon bringing with it powerful gusts of wind and lightning strikes that sparked new fires across the province. When evacuation orders came shortly after 6 p.m., residents were told to go south to Whitecourt. People forced from Swan Hills have been told to be prepared to be out of their homes for at least three days. Night vision-equipped helicopters, firefighters and heavy equipment worked through the night. A high-volume water delivery system of sprinklers and hoses is being deployed to help douse properties at risk should the fire draw closer. An incident command team and additional fire crews are expected to arrive Tuesday. Elsewhere in Alberta, people living southeast of Hinton have been told to prepare for a possible evacuation because of a wildfire burning west of the former coal mining town of Mercoal. The fire, nearly 400 hectares in size is classified as out of control.
