Alberta firefighters on high alert as hot, dry weather conditions return

As Alberta's wildfire crisis drags on, the return of hot weather in the days ahead threatens to escalate the danger in communities under threat.

Intense wildfires continue to burn across the province, forcing thousands of Albertans from their homes and leaving communities, both near and far from the flames, cloaked with smoke.

"We will all be on high alert this weekend," Christie Tucker, information unit manager with Alberta Wildfire, said Friday.

Tucker said dry conditions, gusty winds and temperatures 10 degrees above seasonal will have firefighters on the lookout for new wildfires.

Thursday brought new challenges as Tucker said the Eagle Complex — two fires in the area of Fox Creek — was extremely active. The fire has crossed Highway 43, which is closed from Fox Creek to Little Smoky.

Another out-of-control wildfire, near Chipewyan Lake, broke through a fireguard, Tucker said. 

High Level, Fort Vermilion and Fort Chipewyan are key areas being monitored for dangerous fire activity.

As of Friday afternoon, 99 wildfires are burning across the province. Of the 93 burning inside Alberta's forest protection zones, 25 are classified as out of control.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for about 17 communities across central and northern Alberta. More than 10,523 people are waiting for the all-clear to return home. 

An estimated 275 structures have been damaged, Colin Blair, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said at a wildfire news conference Friday.

Homes and other buildings have been lost in Fox Lake, East Prairie Métis Settlement, Drayton Valley and other communities.

Further information is pending as communities continue to assess the damage, Blair said.

Albertans encouraged to change their plans

The province is bracing for a difficult weekend in the wildfire fight. A dozen parks and recreation areas have been closed, and several other sites are being closely monitored. The list of closures will continue to be updated online.

Blair encouraged Albertans to postpone plans to visit public lands this weekend.

Tucker added that the May long weekend "is traditionally a time when we see a spike in human-caused wildfires and human caused wildfires are entirely preventable."

During the long weekend in May 2022, nearly 100 new wildfires were reported, she said.

Fires commonly start from improperly extinguished campfires, or from sparks caused by hot exhausts on vehicles.

Right now, a fire ban and an off-highway vehicle restriction are in place across the Forest Protection Area.

Alberta Wildfire has also requested for an additional 100 Canadian Armed Forces members to be brought to help with the firefighting effort.

Special air quality statements remain in effect for much of the province.

As of Friday morning, Grande Prairie was contending with the worst levels of pollution from the blowing smoke with a rating of 10+ under the air quality health index. 

This year's wildfire season has turned into an unprecedented battle for Alberta.

Nearly 500 fires have burned in the province to date this year, destroying 830,000 hectares.

On Friday, Tucker said the area burned is about 10 times the size of Calgary's metropolitan area.

More than 2,800 people are fighting the wildfires. Support has come from across Canada, the Armed Forces and the United States.