As more people evacuated by wildfires are allowed to return home to Alberta, provincial officials are warning that hot, dry conditions are returning this weekend in some areas.
Alberta Wildfire’s Melissa Story said high fire conditions are anticipated and ground crews are seeing more intense fire activity on the wildfire perimeters.
She added that most of the fires have not grown substantially and she does not believe any have breached their containment lines.
The number of people evacuated on Saturday afternoon stood at 5,257, up from more than 7,200 on Wednesday, after cooler and wetter conditions last week.
Nearly 50 wildfires in Alberta’s Forest Protection Zone are burning, 14 of which are listed as out of control.
Alberta Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Cyndee Evans said at a press conference Saturday that the situation remains serious despite recent positive news.
While we can welcome more Albertans starting to return home, we cannot afford to let our guard down. Now is not the time to be complacent. Please continue to do your part and help prevent the spread of wildfires and other damage.
Cyndee Evans, Executive Director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency
Mme Story pointed out that showers were forecast for parts of Alberta later on Saturday, reducing the fire danger, but she also warned that these conditions posed a risk of lightning.
Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said in a Twitter post that an extension of the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces personnel to assist with firefighting efforts had been approved.
New Zealand firefighters were welcomed to the province on Friday and nearly 200 Australian firefighters and support staff are expected to arrive this weekend.
Alberta remains under a province-wide state of emergency, although some bans on lights, all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles have been eased in recent days.
Parkland County, west of Edmonton, on Friday lifted a local state of emergency that had been in place since April 29 and downgraded a fire ban to a fire restriction. This means that “safe fires in approved fireplaces with a screen are permitted and do not require a permit”.
However, fires without a grate still required permits, and open fires in the county are still prohibited.
The High Level Forest Area wildfire update says the Pasqua Fire, located in the community of Fox Lake, saw an increase in fire activity after hot, dry weather on Friday, and that temperatures and fire behavior are expected to increase on Saturday.
Fox Lake remains evacuated, but residents are allowed to sign up for community tours Monday to view the damage. A statement from the Little Red River Cree Nation says priority will be given to people who have lost their homes.
“Visits will be visual only, as it is still not safe for members to walk around the community or housing sites due to hot spots as well as possible toxins and hazards in areas that have been burned. “, supports a press release published online Friday by the first nation.