Evacuations continued Sunday in Alberta due to the progression of forest fires, bringing the total to nearly 30,000 displaced in a few days, a situation “unprecedented” at this time of year.
Shawn Chernecki feared for his father who resides in Wildwood, in northern Alberta. The latter was evacuated on Sunday when the road between his village and Entwistle, an hour west of Edmonton, was completely cut off due to the fires.
“For the past few days, we have been constantly receiving alerts on our phones,” says the Albertan who took refuge further east, in Stony Plain. “It’s crazy, it’s so fast, the advance of the fire. »
The province said Sunday that 108 fires were still active and the number of evacuees now stood at nearly 30,000, up from about 24,000 the day before.
According to Alberta Wildfire, 31 of the 108 fires are considered out of control and while weather conditions have improved somewhat in southern and central parts of the province, areas further north have not. haven’t been so lucky.
Scattered showers allowed firefighters to get closer to the flames to fight them, but higher temperatures are forecast for most parts of the province as many evacuees worry about what’s next.
Concerned citizens
Keith Lenz says he packed everything he owned into his truck before leaving Drayton Valley on Friday morning with his wife and dog. On Thursday evening, residents were told to evacuate the town, located about 150 kilometers southwest of Edmonton, which affected 7,000 people as wildfires burned nearby.
The couple arrived in Edmonton on Sunday morning after running out of money during a two-night stay at an Athabasca hotel. He doesn’t know if he has a home to return to.
“None of us know if his property was burned down,” he said. The most stressful thing is knowing where the fire burned, what’s left of it, where it is now, and what the extent of the damage is in those areas. »
Alberta Emergency Management Agency director Colin Blair said accurate reports of the damage were unavailable because conditions outside made it difficult to obtain and as authorities focused to help citizens.
However, buildings were destroyed, it was confirmed, including 20 homes, a police station and a store in Fox Lake, northern Alberta.
In the election campaign
Earlier on Sunday, Premier Danielle Smith met with Opposition Leader Rachel Notley to update her on the wildfire situation and the state of emergency.
Alberta is in the midst of an election campaign with a vote scheduled for May 29, but some candidates in areas affected by the fires have announced they are suspending campaign activities.
With The Canadian Press and Agence France-Presse