Wildfire reaches Slave Lake
Posted May 15, 2011 9:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The town of Slave Lake is on fire.
A wildfire has breached the southern portion of the town and several structures are engulfed.
More than 1,000 people in the area have been forced from their homes.
The town is asking those still there to move to large green areas, beaches or parking lots.
People are also being asked to stay off of highways because they are closed.
The smoke is so dense and the wind is so high, the province has grounded all water bombers over Slave Lake.
In other parts of northern Alberta, dozens of new wildfires were sparked this weekend alone.
Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight tells 660News, the weather is to blame.
Strong dry winds gusting to 70 kilometres an hour and lack of precipitation are creating extreme fire conditions over most of the northern half of the province.
Alberta has deployed 1,000 fire-fighters, 100 helicopters, 20 air tankers and scores of heavy ground-based machines to fight 84 fires in all, nearly 30 of them are burning out of control.
Help is on the way: 200 firefighting personnel from British Columbia and Ontario are expected to arrive by Tuesday.
