Evacuation alert issued near Sundre Fire as blaze grows

An emergency alert was issued on Thursday for the sundre fire burning about 30 km northwest of Sundre, Alta., after the blaze was described as out of control. Melissa Story, an Alberta Wildfire information officer, said the alert was issued for “precautionary reasons.”

By about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, the fire was estimated at approximately 130 hectares, or 1.3 square kilometres, and crews were working around wind gusts of up to 65 km/h that were helping it spread rapidly. All campers, backcountry users and travellers near the junction of highways 734 and 584 were told to leave immediately, while residents in the area were told to prepare for a possible evacuation.

Melissa Story and the alert

Story said there was no immediate danger to any communities when the alert was issued. The warning was aimed at people closest to the fire’s path, including anyone near the highway junction and others living nearby who could be asked to move if conditions changed.

The evacuation alert put the focus on people who would have the least time to react if the fire pushed farther under the wind. For anyone camping or driving through the area, the instruction was not to wait for a further notice before leaving the zone near the blaze.

Highways 734 and 584

The alert covered the area around the junction of highways 734 and 584, where campers, backcountry users and travellers were told to leave immediately. That location placed the fire near a travel corridor as well as outdoor recreation areas, widening the number of people who had to respond at once.

Smoke from the fire was also reported in communities as far away as Olds, 70 km to the east, showing how far the fire’s effects were being felt even though the alert was focused on the area closest to the blaze.

Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Ground crews, helicopters and other aircraft were being used to fight the fire when smoke conditions allowed. The size estimate released at about 5:30 p.m. gave the clearest measure of how much ground the blaze had already covered, even as the alert kept the emphasis on what nearby people should do next.

The immediate instruction was simple: people near the fire’s route were told to leave, and nearby residents were told to be ready for a possible evacuation if the situation worsened.