Wildfire threat remains extreme in Alberta with hot, dry weather ahead
CBC
Flames have begun to retreat from one of nine First Nations communities under threat from wildfires burning across Alberta.
A massive fire threatening Fox Lake is now moving east, away from the remote northern community, said Conroy Sewepagaham, chief of the Little Red River Cree Nation, in a update Wednesday.
Sewepagaham said he remains hopeful that if the weather holds, his community will be spared further damage. More than 100 structures in Fox Lake have already been destroyed, Indigenous Services Canada has confirmed.
"The fire is no longer a big threat to the community," Sewepagaham said in a video posted to Facebook. "That's one good thing."
Communities across the province are bracing for the wildfire danger to escalate. After a few days of relative calm, the return of hot, dry weather this weekend threatens to make conditions more volatile.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Thursday morning, warning of "unseasonably hot, dry conditions" beginning this weekend. Daytime highs are expected to climb into the 30s, about 10 to 15 degrees C above seasonal norms.
As of Thursday morning, 82 wildfires continue to burn across the province, 23 of them out of control.
Canadian Armed Forces soldiers will soon be on the move across the province — by road and air — to assist firefighters on the front lines.
Troops from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment are moving out to establish bases of operations in Grande Prairie, Fox Creek and Drayton Valley, the provincial government said Thursday.
Troops will support firefighting efforts, aid with community evacuations and lend engineering support through the use of heavy equipment.
Emergency officials will deliver an update on Alberta's wildfire response at 3 p.m. MT. Watch the news conference here.
The Paskwa fire at Fox Lake, 150 kilometres east of High Level, is among the fires currently defying suppression efforts.
Since it was detected on May 2, the fire has consumed more than 24,000 hectares.
Firefighters are working to tame hot spots but the fire but the forecast is not encouraging, Sewepagaham said.
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