Latest news with #evacuations
CTV News
2 hours 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
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Thousands evacuated in 3 provinces as Canadian wildfires threaten air quality into some US states
FLIN FLON, Manitoba (AP) — More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remained active Sunday and diminished air quality in parts of Canada and the U.S., according to officials. Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. About 17,000 people there were evacuated by Saturday along with 1,300 in Alberta. About 8,000 people in Saskatchewan had been relocated as leaders there warned the number could climb. Smoke was worsening air quality and reducing visibility in Canada and into some U.S. states along the border. 'Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,' Saskatchewan's Public Safety Agency warned Sunday. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase.' Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said ongoing hot, dry weather is allowing some fires to grow and threaten communities, and resources to fight the fires and support the evacuees are stretched thin. 'The next four to seven days are absolutely critical until we can find our way to changing weather patterns, and ultimately a soaking rain throughout the north,' Moe said at a Saturday news conference. In Manitoba, more than 5,000 of those evacuated are from Flin Flon, located nearly 645 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg. In northern Manitoba, fire knocked out power to the community of Cranberry Portage, forcing a mandatory evacuation order Saturday for about 600 residents. The fire menacing Flin Flon began a week ago near Creighton, Saskatchewan, and quickly jumped the boundary into Manitoba. Crews have struggled to contain it. Water bombers have been intermittently grounded due to heavy smoke and a drone incursion. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service deployed an air tanker to Alberta and said it would send 150 firefighters and equipment to Canada. In some parts of the U.S., air quality reached 'unhealthy' levels Sunday in North Dakota and small swaths of Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page. 'We should expect at least a couple more rounds of Canadian smoke to come through the U.S. over the next week,' said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the U.S. Separately, a fire in the U.S. border state of Idaho burned 50 acres (20 hectares) and prompted road closures, according to Idaho State Police. Evacuation centers have opened across Manitoba for those fleeing the fires, one as far south as Winkler, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the U.S. border. Winnipeg opened up public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels already crammed with other fire refugees, vacationers, business people and convention-goers. Manitoba's Indigenous leaders said Saturday at a news conference that hotel rooms in the cities where evacuees are arriving are full, and they called on the government to direct hotel owners to give evacuees priority. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said it was one of the largest evacuations in the province since the 1990s. 'It's really sad to see our children having to sleep on floors. People are sitting, waiting in hallways, waiting outside, and right now we just need people to come together. People are tired,' Wilson said at a news conference. Canada's wildfire season runs from May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. ___ Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
Thousands evacuated in 3 provinces as Canadian wildfires threaten air quality into some US states
FLIN FLON, Manitoba (AP) — More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remained active Sunday and diminished air quality in parts of Canada and the U.S., according to officials. Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. About 17,000 people there were evacuated by Saturday along with 1,300 in Alberta. About 8,000 people in Saskatchewan had been relocated as leaders there warned the number could climb. Smoke was worsening air quality and reducing visibility in Canada and into some U.S. states along the border. 'Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,' Saskatchewan's Public Safety Agency warned Sunday. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase.' Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said ongoing hot, dry weather is allowing some fires to grow and threaten communities, and resources to fight the fires and support the evacuees are stretched thin. 'The next four to seven days are absolutely critical until we can find our way to changing weather patterns, and ultimately a soaking rain throughout the north,' Moe said at a Saturday news conference. In Manitoba, more than 5,000 of those evacuated are from Flin Flon, located nearly 645 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg. In northern Manitoba, fire knocked out power to the community of Cranberry Portage, forcing a mandatory evacuation order Saturday for about 600 residents. The fire menacing Flin Flon began a week ago near Creighton, Saskatchewan, and quickly jumped the boundary into Manitoba. Crews have struggled to contain it. Water bombers have been intermittently grounded due to heavy smoke and a drone incursion. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service deployed an air tanker to Alberta and said it would send 150 firefighters and equipment to Canada. In some parts of the U.S., air quality reached 'unhealthy' levels Sunday in North Dakota and small swaths of Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page. 'We should expect at least a couple more rounds of Canadian smoke to come through the U.S. over the next week,' said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the U.S. Separately, a fire in the U.S. border state of Idaho burned 50 acres (20 hectares) and prompted road closures, according to Idaho State Police. Evacuation centers have opened across Manitoba for those fleeing the fires, one as far south as Winkler, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the U.S. border. Winnipeg opened up public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels already crammed with other fire refugees, vacationers, business people and convention-goers. Manitoba's Indigenous leaders said Saturday at a news conference that hotel rooms in the cities where evacuees are arriving are full, and they called on the government to direct hotel owners to give evacuees priority. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said it was one of the largest evacuations in the province since the 1990s. 'It's really sad to see our children having to sleep on floors. People are sitting, waiting in hallways, waiting outside, and right now we just need people to come together. People are tired,' Wilson said at a news conference. Canada's wildfire season runs from May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months. ___ Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Canadian wildfire smoke wafts across US as horrifying map reveals where air quality may turn deadly
A horrifying map shows exactly where wafts of thick smoke and toxic chemicals will hit the US from the ongoing wildfires in Canada. Several large active wildfires have been burning from British Columbia to Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the last week, releasing plumes of toxic smoke toward America. More than 25,000 residents from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been evacuated due to the out-of-control blazes and heavy plumes of smoke. Multiple states, including those in the Midwest, Northeast, near the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions, have advised residents of air quality alerts and health advisories caused by the smoke. The states expected to be impacted the most include Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, meteorologists have warned. Air quality alerts have been issued as toxic smoke made landfall there. Parts of the Dakotas, Illinois, Ohio and other states are all experiencing moderate and unhealthy air quality levels as of Saturday morning, according to The billowing smoke started to make its way toward the east coast later in the day, the map, created by revealed. Wildfire smoke is responsible for thousands of deaths globally each year - as the intense pollution can negatively trigger people's respiratory systems. As a result of the dire consequences of wildfires, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advised residents to reduce outdoor physical activity, keep windows closed and avoid contributing to air pollution by limiting outdoor burning and vehicle use. The National Weather service urged Americans in the affected states to 'keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors and, if possible, run central air conditioning.' A change in pattern late Monday into Tuesday is expected to turn winds out of the south in the Central US just before a cold front moves in from the west, according to The Weather Channel. Because of this, the smoky skies and poor air quality issues should temporarily alleviate, pushing out of the US and back to Canada. While officials have urged Americans to stay prepared, they noted the current situation is less hazardous than in 2023, when Canadian wildfires turned skies across the Northeast a hazy orange. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said: 'Most of the time, the smoke will be high-flying and dim the sun, leading to vivid sunrises and sunsets and causing a hazy appearance to the sky overhead. 'However, there will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality. 'That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues.' Minnesota is set to feel the brunt of the smoke. The state's Arrowhead region had the poorest air quality in the nation on Friday morning and Saturday could be worse. AccuWeather also warned that smoke is most likely to become thick enough to be noticeable in major cities such as Fargo, North Dakota Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota. Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chicago and possibly as far south and east as Detroit and Indianapolis are also at risk. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said pollutants from the smoke are expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups in the state from Friday into Saturday morning. 'There is a possibility that hourly levels could reach the Unhealthy range for a short period of time,' EGLE added. Meteorologists also warned that ozone problems could hit the north-central region next week due to a combination of high temperatures and lingering wildfire smoke. Ground-level ozone is a harmful air pollutant that can cause various health problems, damage materials and contribute to climate change. More than 160 wildfires across Canada have burned more than 1.6 million acres, prompting mass evacuations. A state of emergency has been issued for Manitoba lasting 30 days, but could be extended as needed, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, said. He added: 'This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory. 'The military is being called for help here because of the sheer scale of the 17,000 folks that we move relatively quickly.' So far this year, Manitoba has had 102 fires, which officials say is 'well above' the province's average of 77 by this time. Separately, wildfires in Alberta province have prompted a temporary shutdown of some oil and gas production and forced residents of at least one small town to evacuate. That region was affected on Wednesday by wildfires spanning 11.2 square miles near Chipewyan Lake, a small community in the northern part of the province approximately 81 miles west of the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray. Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record in 2023, when more than 45 million acres were lost. Huge swaths of the US , from the north east to the Great Lakes, were blanked in smog for several days as a result.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Canadian wildfires force oilsands evacuations, stop oil flows
(Bloomberg) — Raging Western Canadian wildfires that have forced thousands of people from their homes are now also prompting evacuations from oilsands projects in northern Alberta. Billionaire Steve Cohen Wants NY to Expand Taxpayer-Backed Ferry Now With Colorful Blocks, Tirana's Pyramid Represents a Changing Albania Where the Wild Children's Museums Are The Economic Benefits of Paying Workers to Move NYC Congestion Toll Brings In $216 Million in First Four Months A fire near Cold Lake, Alberta is bearing down on oilsands operations and curtailing production in the region as employees are told to leave. Out-of-control fires in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are threatening towns and mining operations as crews fight to contain the blazes. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., the largest oil and gas producer in the country, said Saturday it had evacuated workers from its Jackfish 1 oilsands project and halted 36,500 barrels per day of bitumen production. 'All workers are safe and accounted for with no reported injuries,' the Calgary-based company said in a statement. Similarly, MEG Energy Corp. said late Saturday it had 'proactively' evacuated all non-essential personnel from its Christina Lake project and that the wildfire had caused an outage to a third-party power line, disconnecting it from the grid. The company said it is still producing oil from the project, though the startup of an additional 70,000 barrels per day of production will be delayed as a result of the power loss. 'We are working closely with authorities and coordinating with our industry peers to support each other and resume normal operations,' MEG President and CEO Darlene Gates said in a statement. Earlier, Cenovus Energy Inc. put customers on notice that it may not make some oil deliveries from one asset and evacuated staff from another in the Cold Lake region. YouTube Is Swallowing TV Whole, and It's Coming for the Sitcom Millions of Americans Are Obsessed With This Japanese Barbecue Sauce AI Is Helping Executives Tackle the Dreaded Post-Vacation Inbox How Coach Handbags Became a Gen Z Status Symbol Mark Zuckerberg Loves MAGA Now. Will MAGA Ever Love Him Back? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
