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CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Half of Chipewyan Lake destroyed by fire, others return home
A wildfire near Peerless Lake can be seen on June 2, 2025. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire) Some Alberta evacuees headed home Tuesday, while others learned their homes had been destroyed. Bigstone Cree Nation, which includes the communities of Calling Lake, Chipewyan Lake, and Wabasca, said in a Tuesday update that aerial assessments showed 38 structures were destroyed, including the Bigstone Health Centre and the Chipewyan Lake water treatment plant. Nine sheds were also lost and 10 other buildings were partially damaged. 'This means that the community of Chipewyan Lake has experienced a 49 per cent structure loss,' Chief Andy Alook said. Chipewyan Lake June 2 fire Aerial photos show the Bigstone Cree Nation health centre destroyed by fire in Chipewyan Lake on June 2, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Bigstone Cree Nation) Fire breached the community just hours after it was evacuated due to the Red Earth fire complex, which is made up of at least nine wildfires burning out of control in the Slave Lake Forest Area. Four of those fires collectively cover 2,463 square-kilometres. In addition to Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake, Red Earth Creek and Loon River First Nation were also evacuated. Bigstone Cree Nation said it is working to secure temporary housing for evacuated residents in Wabasca, and will lobby the provincial and federal governments for rebuilding assistance. Wet weather helps some Residents in Peers, Mercoal and Robb were allowed back into their Yellowhead County communities after being forced to flee due to a nearby out-of-control wildfire over 738 hectares in size. 'We are seeing fire behavior in those areas has settled since the precipitation has moved through late last week and early this week,' said Alberta Wildfire information officer Derrick Forsythe. '(Crews) have done a great job in kind of knocking that fire down,' he added, 'and securing the areas that needed to be secured.' Peers resident Irene Vanderwell said it was a relief to be able to go home. '(I'm) very appreciative to the firefighters and everyone who worked to get it out, they did an amazing job,' she added. On Monday, residents living east of the Pembina River in the Hubert Lake Wildfire Provincial Park area were allowed to go home – though an evacuation order remained in place for people west of the river. While rain, colder weather and higher relative humidity had helped temper fire danger in parts of the province, Forsythe said things could heat up quickly again as things start to dry out. 'The big thing to remember is that just because we're not hearing of all kinds of new starts and you're not seeing pictures of big, black plumes or smoke in the sky, doesn't mean that this fight is over by any stretch of the imagination,' Forsythe said. 'If people can be careful and just take every precaution possible to ensure we don't have any new starts, that would be greatly appreciated.' As of Tuesday at 4 p.m., there were 56 active wildfires in Alberta, with 26 of those burning out of control. So far this year, there have been 504 wildfires and more than 490,000 hectares have burned. Fire crews from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Yukon, British Columbia, Quebec and the U.S. were in Alberta helping local firefighters, with more than 1,000 personnel working on fires across the province. June 2 Alberta Wildfire briefing Alberta Wildfire crews were joined by supporting firefighters from the Yukon and the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho for a briefing on June 2, 2025. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire) Forsythe said conditions remained very dry in the boreal forest from the Edson area up to the Northwest Territories. Areas that did see rain were also starting to dry out, which he said could see a resurgence of fire activity. 'If a new start grabs hold, it can spread pretty quickly,' Forsyth said, pointing to a fire that started Monday night near Highway 25 north of Manning and grew to 1,065 hectares by noon. Fire bans remained in effect in the High Level, Fort McMurray, Peace River, Grande Prairie, Slave Lake, Lac la Biche, Whitecourt and Edson forest areas. Other wildfires of note In addition to the Red Earth fire complex, Forsythe said the Swan fire complex and the Sousa Creek fire had been designated priority fires by the province. The Sousa Creek wildfire is burning out of control over 32,935 hectares between the towns of Rainbow Lake and High Level, along both sides of Highway 58. Evacuation orders were issued for Chateh, Loon Lake, Peerless Lake and Trout Lake. The Swan fire complex is made up of two fires: the Edith Lake wildfire burning over 17,148 hectares north of Swan Hills and the Hubert Lake wildfire burning over 2,855 hectares west of Fawcett. Evacuation orders remained in place for Swan Hills in Westlock county for residents of the provincial park area of the west side of the Pembina river. As of Monday, the province reported about 4,625 Albertans had been forced to leave home due to fires. Others remained at home on alert. For all active evacuation orders and emergency alerts, visit the Alberta Emergency Alert website.
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Knife-waving man arrested at north Edmonton Walmart
The Walmart in Slave Lake. (Google Street View) A man has been arrested after allegedly threatening employees in a northern Alberta Walmart with a knife. It happened on Monday in Slave Lake. Police responded and arrested a 23-year-old man from Trout Lake, Alta. RCMP say a search of the man turned up stolen goods as well as a knife. The man has been charged with: theft under $5,000; causing a disturbance; carrying a concealed weapon; and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He has been released from custody and will appear in court in Slave Lake on June 18.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
More than 4,000 Albertans forced to flee fires, critical infrastructure believed destroyed in northern Alberta
The Edith Lake wildfire (SWF076) north of Swan Hills on May 29, 2025. (Source: Alberta Wildfire) At least two-dozen structures are believed to have been destroyed by wildfire in northern Alberta, the chief of one of the evacuated communities says. Chief Andy Alook of Bigstone Cree Nation, which sits more than 300 kilometres north of Edmonton, announced the news to his members in a video posted to social media on Sunday. 'Based on pictures shared by the firefighters that were in the community, we believe we have lost 27 structures, including the senior centre, the water treatment plant, the church and the Bigstone Health Centre,' he said. Alook said the information was based on the final assessment done by firefighters before they left the area on Thursday. Wildfire breached Chipewyan Lake around 8 p.m., just three hours after the community was evacuated. 'Please keep in mind this is not a boots-on-the-ground assessment yet, an aerial assessment team was in Chipewyan Lake and will have a preliminary report along with photos for us [Monday.]' Alook added fire was so intense it destroyed fire protection hoses and equipment. Chipewyan Lake is part of the Slave Lake forest area, which contains nearly half of the out-of-control wildfires in Alberta. Several of the communities in the area have been evacuated, and the province says wildfire damage remains high. Rain over the weekend wasn't enough to help and warm temperatures are expected to evaporate any surface moisture quickly. Yellowhead County evacuations Closer to Edmonton, residents in three communities in Yellowhead County will be able to return home on Tuesday starting at noon. Wade Williams, the county's mayor, says firefighters managed to stop a fire burning near the hamlet of Peers at the railroad tracks at the edge of the hamlet. 'I don't know if people realize how close we came to losing the entire hamlet of Peers, but had the system we had in place not been in place, that hamlet was in huge trouble,' Williams said. Residents of Peers, as well as Robb and Mercoal, are being told to expect to see firefighting equipment still in the area when they return home later this week. 'We are not out of this as of yet, but we have some breathing room for the moment. Crews will continue working these active fires for days to come, until they are completely out. 'The fire hazard is high and the potential for new starts is high. Everyone in the county should have an evacuation plan,' Williams said. Swan Hills fire Meanwhile, residents of Swan Lake, Alta., can now apply for emergency evacuation payments from the province. The wildfire threatening the town is still burning out of control and firefighters are working to protect structures in the community. Additional firefighting resources from Yukon and the United States are on route to help fight the fire. The province says as of Monday, about 4,625 Albertans have been forced out of their homes due to wildfires. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Lampa
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Cooler weekend weather aids firefighting efforts across northern, central Alberta
A wildfire on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range in Alberta in May 2025. A drop in termperatures and rain have helped firefighters battling wildfires in forested aeras of northern and central Alberta this weekend. The number of wildfires burning in Alberta on Sunday afternoon, 51, remains unchanged from the day before, with 26 of them classified as out of control, 22 as under control and three as being held. According to the Alberta government's wildfire status website, half of the province's out-of-control wildfires are in the Slave Lake Forest Area, with nine of them a part of the Red Earth East complex. The province has had 486 wildfires this year that have burned 473,355 hectares as of Sunday afternoon. More than 700,000 hectares of land in Alberta burned in 2024. Wildfires of note Red Earth East complex Several communities in the Slave Lake Forest Area have been evacuated due to wildfires burning there, including Loon Lake, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake, Chipewyan Lake and Red Earth Creek. The province said Sunday cooler weather in the area has helped firefighters and fires have grown minimally, and that the weather forecast is favourable. The complex in the northeastern portion of the Slave Lake Forest Area has burned close to 200,000 hectares between four of its major wildfires, including one near Chipewyan Lakes (132,167 hectares) and one near Red Earth Creek and Loon Lake First Nation (39,744 hectares). Caribou Lake An out-of-control wildfire in northeastern Alberta that's 61,551 hectares in size is burning near the hamlet of Conklin. The R.M. of Wood Buffalo has put Conklin on an evacuation alert. Conklin is 279 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Swan complex Swan Hills remains under an evacuation order because of a wildfire eight kilometres north of the town near Edith Lake that put residents on alert last Sunday. The 1,300 people living in the town 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton were ordered to leave the next day. The fire is 17,573 hectares in size as of Sunday. Cooler weather has helped firefighters, the province said. Highway 33 southbound is closed from the Highway 2 junction near Kinuso to Highway 32. The Town of Swan Hills is maintaining an evacuation section on its website for more information. The nearby out-of-control Hubert Lake wildfire in Westlock County's Hubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park, located west of Highway 44 and seven kilometres from the community of Fawcett, is 2,924 hectares in size. The province said Sunday the wildfire has not grown, adding the fire has seen little rain and that warmer temperatures forecast are expected to bring very dry conditions to the area. Sousa Creek The out-of-control wildfire, estimated to be 25,000 hectares in size, is located 72 kilometres west of High Level near the Chateh turnoff, 30 kilometres east of the town of Rainbow Lake and 6.8 km from the southern edge of the Chateh community. The province said Sunday the fire grew overnight on the southeastern flank. Whitefish Wildfires burning near Whitefish River Utikoomak Lake 155A and Marten Beach are classified as out of control at 10,448 hectares. Evacuation alerts are in place for both communities located north of Lesser Slave Lake. The province said Sunday firefighters have made good progress on the fires and that there has been little growth. Tulip Lake The out-of-control wildfire in northern Alberta near the border with the Northwest Territories is estimated to be 4,500 hectares in size and is burning 19 km northeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 28 km east of Fort Smith, N.W.T. Grande Prairie County No. 1 The county put some residents on alert Thursday because of a wildfire burning across the provincial border in nearby British Columbia. People living north of Township Road 720 to Township Road 732 and east of the border to Range Road 130 are asked to be prepared to leave when asked. The wildfire prompted an evacuation in B.C.'s Peace River region and may face precipitation throughout the weekend. Environment Canada says Kelly Lake in the Peace River Regional District is forecasted to see about a 30 per cent chance for showers for both days of the weekend. The nearby wildfire remains at about 4,600 hectares in size as of Saturday morning, and firefighters say its growth has stopped about seven kilometres from Kelly Lake. The fire has forced about 70 people in the area to evacuate their homes. Yellowhead County The communities of Peers, Robb and Mercoal have been evacuated because of wildfires burning close to them. The January Creek fire south of the hamlet of Peers is 761 hectares in size. The province said Sunday firefighters, heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers alongside the Yellowhead County Fire Department continue to fight the blaze. Prairies emergencies In Manitoba: Wildfire near Flin Flon contained Fire crews in northern Manitoba have so far been able to contain an encroaching wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes. Officials in Flin Flon, Man., say the fire burning near the mining city has been contained to outside its perimeter highway, and that as of Saturday evening there have been no structure losses. In Saskatchewan: Northern communities evacuated Ongoing wildfires in northern Saskatchewan have forced several communities to evacuate and prompted a province-wide state of emergency. People in Timber Bay, located in north-central Saskatchewan, were ordered to evacuate on Sunday due to a fast-moving wildfire threatening the area. The community of 81 residents is situated about 30 minutes off Highway 2, which connects La Ronge and Prince Albert, and is accessible via secondary Highway 969, a former main route into the north. With files from CTV News Winnipeg, CTV News Saskatoon and The Canadian Press
National Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- National Post
Wildfire updates: 25 Alberta blazes deemed out of control Wildfires rage in northeast B.C.
Article content Friday Article content Wildfires of note grow from four to seven in one day Article content 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. Article content The fire near Marten Beach has crossed the Highway 88 and the roadway has been closed at Highway 754 north of Slave Lake. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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.' Article content Conklin was put on alert for possible evacuation Thursday afternoon, with an out-of-control blaze spreading toward the community. Article content 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. Article content About 1,300 residents of Swan Hills evacuated earlier this week to nearby Whitecourt in the face of fires that also disrupted oilfield operations. Article content 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. Article content Alberta Emergency Alert regularly updates its website and X account with ongoing evacuation orders and fire alerts. Article content 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. Article content Moe made the announcement Thursday to begin a wildfire update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). Article content '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.' Article content Following a similar announcement by Manitoba on Wednesday, Saskatchewan became the second province in as many days to declare a state of emergency. Article content 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. Article content 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 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 — lisahsmithlhs (@lisahsmithlhs) May 28, 2025 Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content '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. Article content In Alberta, evacuation orders are also increasing in the northern part of the province as out-of-control fires rage. Article content '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.' Article content Article content In Alberta, go to 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 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. Article content What do the different wildfire statuses mean? Article content 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 Article content How can I help prevent wildfires? Article content 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. Article content 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. If you're in a rural area, ensure you know how to safely burn vegetation or brush or understand how to use burn barrels. Article content 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. Article content
