Wildfire: Latest News

Schools have been shut down and a local state of emergency has been declared for the communities affected by a forest fire which continues to rage near Halifax on Monday.

wildfire conditions west of Edmonton have become extreme again.On Friday night, an evacuation order was issued for the town of Edson and much of Yellowhead County.An 11 p.m. update from the Town of Edson said crews were seeing live embers and fire in Willmore Park, located about five kilometres south of town.“The fire has crossed the (McLeod) River.

An “incredibly intense” wildfire burning in British Columbia’s northeast is now just four to five kilometres from the community of Tumbler Ridge, and could reach the outskirts of town at some point Friday, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

Premier Danielle Smith says the government is bringing in arson investigators from outside the province to trace the cause of some wildfires during an unprecedented season in Alberta.

A thick layer of smog descended on parts of the province Tuesday as raging wildfires continue to burn in northwestern Quebec.

Media were invited Tuesday to view the wreckage left behind by a wildfire that swept through the Halifax-area communities of Tantallon and Hammonds Plains over the last week.The fire, which broke out on May 28, destroyed about 200 buildings, including 151 homes, and forced the evacuation of more than 16,400 people. Many evacuees have since been able to return home, but about 4,000 remain displaced.The fire is now under control and 100 per cent contained, and is not expected to spread further.

wildfires in Nova Scotia — including the largest wildfire ever recorded in provincial history — could get some welcome relief Friday with rain in the forecast.Environment Canada forecasts a 60 per cent chance of showers Friday, with rain beginning in the evening. Periods of rain are also expected for the next few days.Officials have said the hot, dry weather seen so far this wildfire season is making it easier for the fire to spread and harder for crews to fight.David Steeves, a technician of forest resources with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said while a smattering of rain seen earlier Friday morning was “really welcomed,” it “wasn’t enough to be really significant.”He said the amount that fell Friday morning would only have a small effect on the “fine fuels” — such as leaves, twigs, and other things littering the forest floor.“The precipitation that we received this morning would buy us a few hours, but we will take that advantage right now,” Steeves said, noting that the moisture is quickly evaporating.“We are hopeful that we are going to receive additional, precipitation which will only help our cause,” he said.“We are going to continue to monitor the weather very, very closely, and just keep our fingers crossed for any type of precipitation that’s hopefully going to come our way before too much longer.”Dave Meldrum, deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said he’s “never been so happy to see rain as I was this morning.”“I’m sure many people across the region feel the same way,” he said.

wildfire burning in the Halifax area, but officials warn there’s a lot of work left to do.In an update Thursday morning, David Steeves, a technician of forest resources with the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said the fire in the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains area is about 50 per cent contained.“So that is a little bit of bright news, but that being said, we are far from being out of the woods,” said Steeves.“Just because we do have a level of percentage of containment does not mean that the … importance of safety in this situation has lowered.”The blaze broke out Sunday afternoon in the Tantallon area, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Halifax, and has since grown to about 837 hectares. The fire has destroyed about 200 buildings, including 150 homes, and forced the evacuation of more than 16,400 people.On Wednesday evening, the evacuation order for the Indigo Shores subdivision was lifted.

https://t.co/KPiEcw6AXf pic.twitter.com/Nj9yrCVoMd— hfxgov (@hfxgov) May 31, 2023The blaze broke out Sunday afternoon in the Tantallon area, about a 30-minute drive from downtown Halifax.More than 200 structures — 150 of which are homes — have been destroyed.Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in a number of neighbourhoods, impacting more than 16,400 residents. An evacuation order was issued for some areas in Bedford Tuesday night due to another fire and potential ammonia leak, but was later rescinded.That fire is still ongoing but was “quiet” Wednesday morning, fire officials say.Dave Meldrum, deputy chief with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, said the devastation left by the wildfire is a “site of tragedy.”“There’s widespread destruction, and at the same time, there’s a level of randomness that comes with wildfires when they hit the urban interface where people live,” he said.“So there are properties that are unharmed in close proximity to properties that are destroyed.“It’s terrible to see.

A mandatory evacuation was ordered for parts of Bedford, N.S., just outside Halifax, due to a wildfire and potential ammonia leak.

wildfire outside Halifax continues to burn out of control, stories of kindness and heroism are being revealed.The forest fire in the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas of Nova Scotia began Sunday afternoon, and was estimated to be 788 hectares by Monday evening. Some 16,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes, while other homes have been destroyed and a local state of emergency was declared.As the flames spread on Sunday, people scrambled to grab their belongings and evacuate the area. Lisa Parsons, the manager of Pampered Paws Inn, sprang into action during the fire and saved 18 dogs from the doggy daycare by running through the bushes.The scratches on her legs tell the tale of what she and her helpers endured.The mission was not easy, and they only had one chance.“The rule was you got to do it (in) one trip,” she said.

Deputy Chief Dave Meldrum confirmed the forest fire began as a call on Juneberry Lane in Upper Tantallon, N.S.By now, the out-of-control blaze had destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of thousands of residents, and led to a local state of emergency for the Tantallon and Hammonds Plains areas.While officials haven’t confirmed how many homes were damaged, Meldrum said at least 10 structures were destroyed. The evacuation tally sits at around 14,000.“We have a lot of work to do today, this week, for many days,” Meldrum said.“This is difficult, and residents must be prepared to remain out of their homes for several days, at least.”Drennan and her family are spread out at three different homes for now.

pic.twitter.com/6FllTNxexo— Halifax Fire (@hfxfire) May 28, 2023“We have water, tea, coffee, and snacks available,” she said. “We haven’t had anybody show up as of yet, but we’re counting on quite a few to be coming.”RCMP said in a statement earlier Sunday afternoon that they had ordered residents to immediately evacuate their homes in the subdivsion.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was set to stop in Edmonton on Monday to meet with military personnel who are helping Alberta fight ongoing wildfires.

dozens of active wildfires burning hundreds of thousands of square kilometres across Alberta.Hot weather in the forecast has prompted some residents of Grande Prairie to prepare to leave as a wildfire burns outside the city.“If a person looks out, the kids and I are playing in the yard here and everything just seems normal, but we are fully aware that there is still a wildfire,” said Brandon Wilson, who lives just two kilometres outside of the area currently under evacuation order.The most up-to-date evacuation information can be found on the Alberta Emergency Alerts website.Wilson said when evacuations first started last week, there were long lines at gas stations in the city.He said he has put together essentials, especially for his kids, in case the family needs to leave the area on short notice.“We have a couple options and if we had to move quickly, we could,” he said, adding his family could stay in a camping trailer if needed.It’s a case of hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, he said.“I think there’s a lot of potential for this fire to get carried away still.”The upcoming hot weather, with highs in the high 20s and low 30s, is expected to fan the flames over the next few days, said Trevor Grant, the fire chief of County of Grande Prairie Fire Services.“There are still lots of smolders and areas that are unseen within the fire perimeter that may rekindle or flare up with the hot, dry conditions that could extend and cause us some more issues.”Grant said he didn’t want to speculate on what could happen over the weekend.“It all depends on what we can accomplish through the next few days and what the weather does,” he said.Bob Marshall, the reeve of the County of Grande Prairie, said the fire has moved

The evacuation order for Drayton Valley remained in effect Sunday evening and the fire chief is warning people to stay away.

over spreading wildfires.“Under the Emergency Management Act the declaration gives the government greater powers to respond to extreme situations for example the province can access emergency funds, mobilize additional supports and continue to work with municipalities, organizations and businesses to support affected residents.“This is not a step that we took lightly but it’s the one that allows for the quickest and most effective response.”Smith added that the safety of Albertans is the most important thing.“The safety and well-being of those affected remains our top priority. We will keep Albertans informed as the situation changes through daily briefings from department officials.”“I want to … assure everyone that our province has the right tools, the right technology and the right resources in place to tackle this challenge and people will get the supports that they need.”“We’ll spend whatever it takes.

The town of Drayton Valley and surrounding areas of Brazeau County were ordered to evacuate late Thursday night as a wildfire in the area grew and threatened the central Alberta community.

Fox Lake, was nearly 4,400 hectares in size as of Thursday, according to Alberta Wildfire.The evacuation efforts were slow as the only way in and out of Little Red River Cree Nation is a small barge. A line of 600 people was waiting to cross the Peace River at its busiest moment, according to Chief Conroy Sewepagaham.Around 1:15 p.m.

Fueled by warm weather, winds and extremely dry conditions, several wildfires have grown near Entwistle and Evansburg, and on Saturday night an evacuation order was issued for the communities west of Edmonton in Parkland County and Yellowhead County.

A wildfire burning less than two kilometres from Lytton, B.C. has ballooned to 1,500 hectares in size and destroyed at least six residential structures, according to local First Nation officials.

Okanagan socked in by U.S. wildfire smoke, conditions could improve by Tuesday Metro Vancouver extended an air quality advisory due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the Lower Mainland Sunday morning that has been in place since Tuesday.Flying into Vancouver yesterday through smoke from fires south of the border.

gender-reveal party triggered a wildfire in southern California that’s scorched more than 7,000 acres and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, local fire officials said.The fire was caused by a “smoke-generating pyrotechnic device” used at a party Saturday morning in El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, about 140 kilometres east of Los Angeles, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said on Sunday.“The fire spread from the park to the north on to Yucaipa Ridge that separates Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls from the City of Yucaipa,” Cal Fire officials said in a press release.“With the dry conditions and critical fire weather, it doesn’t take much to start a wildfire.