Nearly 1K people flee Garden River as wildfire threatens road access: officials

Nearly 1,000 people have fled from a remote rural area in northwestern Alberta as a nearby wildfire threatens the only road out of the community, according to provincial emergency officials.

An evacuation order was issued Wednesday for Garden River, also known as Garden Creek, a settlement in Little Red River Cree Nation near High Level, Alta.

Officials asked residents to leave their homes by 6 p.m. due to a wildfire roughly 30 kilometres away from the community but about eight to 10 kilometres north of Highway 58.

In an update on Thursday afternoon, Alberta Wildfire confirmed that 981 residents of Garden River had left the community by Wednesday night.

Many are staying at hotels in High Level and Peace River, Alta. or support camps in John D’or Prairie.

Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis told reporters Thursday there is no immediate threat to the community, but Little Red River Cree Nation issued an evacuation order to ensure residents aren’t blocked in.

He said Little Red River Cree Nation is leading the response and Alberta emergency management agency’s First Nations field officers are also on site to provide support.

Highway 58 remains open at this time, he said. No other communities are at risk at this time.

“Alberta’s government knows being away from home and not knowing when you’ll be able to return is, of course, incredibly challenging,” Ellis said. “I’d like to reassure everyone that Alberta’s government stands ready to support the First Nation in any and every way that we can.”

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Alberta Wildfire said the out-of-control fire has grown to more than 41,000 hectares in size.

First Nations emergency officials triggered the evacuation order and a local state of emergency Wednesday after the wildfire grew closer to the highway.

“We don’t want anyone getting trapped,” Chief Conroy Sewepagaham said in a video about the evacuation order. “We don’t want them or any of our members to be stuck without any access.”

Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said almost 200 wildfires have started across the Alberta Forest Protection Area in the last two weeks.

In the wake of a heatwave stretching across Alberta, the provincial government implemented a province-wide fire ban on Wednesday.

“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that Albertans exercise extreme caution to prevent further human-caused wildfires,” he said Thursday. “They place additional strain on our resources and personnel.”

Loewen said Alberta Wildfire is working to contain and suppress fires as they arise and encourages Albertans to stay vigilant and follow all local advisories.

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Melissa Story, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire, said there were 92 wildfires burning in the forest protection area as of 2:45 p.m. on Thursday. Of these, 29 are listed as out of control.

Eight fires are currently being held and 35 are listed as under control, she said.

By 4 p.m., there were 104 active wildfires burning, 42 of which were listed as out of control.

Since January, the province has responded to just fewer than 700 wildfires, which have burned roughly 184,000 hectares of land, Story said. She noted more than two million hectares of land had burned at this same time in 2023.

“Spring was cool and wet in Alberta this year, which kept the number of wildfires and hectares burned below our average,” she said. “With the increase in temperature, we are now inching closer to our five-year average for hectares burned.”

Story said wildfire activity has grown rapidly due to the province’s ongoing heatwave, doubling the total area burnt in the last 48 hours.

“We’re expecting some reprieve from the extreme conditions in northern Alberta in the coming days, along with some much-needed rain,” she said. “Although it won’t be enough to put out the fires, it should reduce fire behaviour.”

When asked by reporters if the province has requested help from other jurisdictions to tackle fires, Story confirmed that 100 firefighters and 43 overhead staff are coming in from Ontario.

An additional 20 firefighters and six overhead staff have also arrived from New Brunswick.

People who have left their homes for a week or more can apply for a one-time emergency evacuation payment. Eligible evacuees will receive $1,250 per adult and an additional $500 per dependent child under 18.

For the latest information on which areas in Alberta are under an evacuation alert or order due to a wildfire, visit the Alberta Emergency Alert website.

For the latest information on the wildfire status and danger across the province, visit the Alberta Wildfire website.

The latest information on fire advisories, restrictions and bans across the province can be found on the Alberta fire bans website.

— with files from Karen Bartko, Global News