(Edmonton) Wildfires that are still active in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton, did not move closer to the evacuated municipalities on Sunday, but they are still keeping thousands of Albertans from returning home.
According to an update provided by the Alberta government, a cold front that swept through the region overnight from Saturday to Sunday helped fight the flames, especially since it was accompanied by some precipitation.
The amounts of rain were minimal, but still enough to increase the humidity in the air and thus slow the progress of the fires.
However, despite this good news, the municipal authorities of the region announced that the evacuation orders were maintained. They also warned the evacuees that they should not expect to be able to return home before Wednesday.
“When you look at the lights, you might think they are calmer. But I assure you that they are still very dangerous and that all it would take is a little wind for the flames to flare up again, ”warned Yellowhead County General Manager Luc Mercier.
Nearly 14,000 people were under evacuation orders due to wildfires across Alberta on Sunday, according to the provincial government’s latest report.
In Edson, which was fully evacuated Friday night, firefighters went door to door on Sunday to move flammable items, including propane tanks and wood logs, away from homes.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers also continued to patrol the city, while the fire remains about 1.5 kilometers from the southern limit of the municipality.
About 2,700 people were on the ground Sunday in Alberta to fight the fires. Workers from across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa participated in the effort, as did members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada issued special air quality weather statements for several Alberta cities, including Edmonton and Calgary, on Sunday due to smoke from the fires.
New evacuations in British Columbia
In British Columbia, residents of parts of the northeastern part of the province have been asked to leave their homes due to the progress of wildfires.
The Regional Municipality of Northern Rockies has issued an evacuation order for the isolated areas of Ittsi Creek and Maxhamish Lake, located approximately 125 kilometers north of Fort Nelson.
On Vancouver Island, the first convoy of essential service vehicles left Lake Cowichan Sunday on an unpaved forest road, heading for several communities cut off by wildfires.
Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino have been cut off from the rest of the province since a fire cut off access to Highway 4, which is the main thoroughfare in that area.