Crews fighting to protect Edson, Alta., as wildfire grows to more than 200,000 hectares

Crews are still working to contain a wildfire threatening the town of Edson, Alta., and some parts of Yellowhead County, as the fire continues to grow.

"It's slower today, but that doesn't mean that risk is over," Edson chief administrative officer Christine Beveridge said Sunday in a fire update live on Facebook.

Officials from the municipality said in an update Saturday night the area was now the top priority for Alberta's firefighting efforts, noting the resources pouring in from the province and other partners.

Yellowhead County chief administrative officer Luc Mercier said while the main fire had grown outwards, it had not moved north toward the town thanks to the efforts of deployed crews and the weather.

"Our fear based on the weather, again, is that they can … flare up very quickly northward," he said in a live video posted to social media around 8 p.m.

Although municipal officials had previously floated Wednesday as a potential return date, Mercier said that would not be the case for most areas under evacuation.

The county is considering the removal of a portion of the evacuation zone north of Township Road 560 and west of the McLeod River sometime Monday depending on weather.

The wildfire, known as EWF031, has grown to more than 200,000 hectares, up from 130,000 hectares on Friday.

According to the Alberta Wildfire dashboard, there are 81 fires burning across the province as of Sunday evening, including 79 in the forest protection areas. Twenty-three of those fires are listed as out of control.

Edson's 8,400 residents were ordered Friday evening to evacuate the town. It's the second time this wildfire season the town — 200 kilometres west of Edmonton — has fallen under an evacuation order.

Caroline Charbonneau, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire, said Sunday the fire is only two kilometres south of Edson.

"Friday night that fire moved so quickly because of the strong winds," Charbonneau said in an interview.

"[Monday] we don't expect very strong winds but the winds have been so unpredictable that we can't take any chances."

Mercier said Yellowhead County had been planning on winding down its emergency response operations two days before the evacuation order was given.

"That idea went out the door when the fires just went over control very drastically again," he said.

He said the fire's rapid growth shows the volatility of Alberta's wildfire situation. 

FortisAlberta — the company that manages the electricity distribution system in the Edson area — confirmed 342 customers are without power in the areas of Cadomin and Robb.

Fortis is working with the emergency operations centre in Yellowhead County to access the wildfire damage to power lines.

"We have been able to safely get into the fire areas to assess damage to our facilities and we have sustained damage to 20 structures," Tanya Croft, communications manager for Fortis, said in a statement to CBC. 

"Our crews are on the ground working to isolate and restore power in those areas.  The town of Edson has not lost power and the town is energized ready for people to return."

AltaLink —  Alberta's largest regulated electricity transmission company — said transmission infrastructure that supplies power to areas west of Edson, including Jasper and Hinton, has not been impacted by wildfire damage.

Hot temperatures are expected to last until Wednesday. Evacuees have been told they may not be allowed to return home before then.

Firefighters have been putting structural guards in place and patrolling neighbourhoods. They have been moving combustible objects such as propane tanks, barbecues and hanging planters away from homes.

The county is getting help in the form of additional sprinkler systems and water bombers.

'Not again'

Edson residents Calvin Bootsman and Pamela Holden made their way to the Edmonton Expo Centre, which has been set up as a reception centre for evacuees.

They said having to evacuate again is a reminder of how uncertain the situation is in the province.

"Not again, I just couldn't believe we were having to do it again," Holden said in an interview with CBC.

WATCH | Alberta evacuees feel an unfortunate sense of déjà vu as wildfire forces escape:

'It looked like the apocalypse was coming,' Alberta wildfire evacuee says

1 year ago

Duration 4:37

Edson resident Calvin Bootsman and his wife, Pamela Holden, were forced out of their home for the second time in recent weeks due to wildfires that have been ravaging Alberta for over a month.

"It looked like the apocalypse was coming," Bootsman said. "The fire was about three kilometres from where we lived and by midnight when we left, you can see the glow and the tip of the flames."

While Bootsman appreciates the help being provided, he said he hopes more crews will be brought in to process evacuees more quickly.

"The only thing is they needed to process in teams with people because there's so many people stressed out angry."  

Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on wildfire smoke and active fires across the country. Set your location for information on air quality and to find out how today's temperatures compare to historical trends.