Residents were told early Tuesday to be ready to leave at short notice
Residents of Fort Chipewyan are being forced to leave their homes because a wildfire broke out over the weekend in northern Alberta.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, and Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation all issued a joint order to evacuate Tuesday evening as the fire continues to grow just 13 kilometers from the community.
Flights to Fort McMurray are being set up, and temporary housing is being set up in both Fort McMurray and Fort McKay.
The evacuation will happen in stages, with priority given to people who are weak or old.
It will start in Allison Bay, which is the closest town to the wildfire’s edge. Just east of Fort Chipewyan, the community is home to about 135 people.
The order says that there are only a few flights left on Tuesday, but that most people will be moved starting on Wednesday.
The Mikisew Cree First Nation, Wood Buffalo, and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation have all declared a local state of emergency.
During an update on Tuesday afternoon, the manager of the Alberta Wildfire Information Unit, Christie Tucker, said that the fire was 300 hectares when it was first seen on Sunday, but it has since grown to 3,000 hectares. The order to evacuate was given later that day.
“It is our top priority because it is so close to the community and because it grew up so quickly and close to the community.”
About 1,000 people live in Fort Chipewyan. It is about 300 kilometers northeast of Fort McMurray.
Tucker said that three crews are working to put out the fire, six helicopters are dropping water, and two groups of air tankers are constantly flying around. Also, more resources are being sent to the area by the government.
But she said it’s not too surprising that a wildfire is growing so quickly since northern Alberta is hot and dry and hasn’t had the kind of rain that helps put out fires in other parts of the province.
In Alberta’s forest protection zones, there are 62 wildfires going on right now, and 19 of them are out of control. About 3,500 people still have to leave their homes.
Communities on aler
An RMWB alert from earlier in the day said that people who were vulnerable were already being moved out of Fort Chipewyan.
In a video posted to his Facebook page Tuesday morning, Mikisew Cree First Nation Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro said that the community of Allison Bay, which is one of several in the First Nation, would be evacuated.
We’ve been told that the fire is now six kilometers from Allison Bay, said Tuccaro. “Sprinklers are now being set up around the community.”
Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation and Kendrick Cardinal, president of the Fort Chipewyan Métis, have also been sharing news online.
Adam said, “We don’t need to worry here in Fort Chip.” “We want everyone to be ready.”
Cardinal also said that the community is getting more help.
“We’ve brought in more bylaw, more RCMP, and [emergency social services] crews to help our community deal with what’s going on, to keep everyone calm, and to point people in the right direction,” he said.
“I just want to tell you to stay calm and not get too upset. There’s nothing missing.”
After 10:30 a.m. MT on Tuesday, the evacuation alert caused an emergency message to play on CBC Radio in parts of the North. However, the alert did not say what community it was for and did not say the word “evacuate” correctly.
Alberta’s wildfire dashboard says that the fire was started by a lightning strike. At the moment, it’s thought to be out of control.