Farmers rush to save livestock as wildfires rip through Alberta
CBC
With wildfires forcing thousands of Albertans to flee their homes, farmers are rushing to save their animals.
Carol Swap, who lives north of Drayton Valley in Brazeau County, said fires were surrounding her cattle farm on three sides.
While Swap wasn't under an evacuation order, she was planning to relocate more than 100 cattle from her property if the fires came closer.
"It's a little bit nerve-wracking because you can't really get a good game plan put together," said Swap on Friday.
"You just gotta wait and see what happens."
Swap said her daughter and husband are staying with her after being evacuated from Drayton Valley.
All 7,200 residents of Drayton Valley were ordered to evacuate the town late Thursday because of an out-of-control wildfire.
Swap said her family is staying calm and watching closely for further alerts from the province or Brazeau County.
"Until it's obvious we have to go, I'm not going to worry about it because if I worry about it, I'll make myself sick," she said.
Residents of Evansburg, Wildwood, Lobstick, and Hansonville in the east part of Yellowhead County in west-central Alberta were evacuated from their homes on Thursday.
Michaela Shrode, a director with the Yellowhead Agricultural Society, has been helping evacuees resettle their animals on the agricultural grounds. They have dozens of cattle and horses staying in their pens and stalls.
Shrode said the society is preparing to move the animals they're housing if fires force them to abandon the centre just outside Edson.
"We're hoping not, but we don't really know, right?" She said, "We kind of have to be ready for whatever."
The society has room to house more animals, but supplies are a concern, according to Shrode.