‘Very volatile’: Winds subside, Alberta wildfires grow in size

The wildfires scorching Alberta have grown after winds subsided, as over 100,000 hectares have burned since Tuesday.

“I’ll be very blunt, this situation remains very volatile,” said minister of public safety and emergency services Mike Ellis.

“Albertans need to be on alert.

“Fires are unpredictable, and it moves as the wind moves, and we have to be cognizant of that and … we’re doing what we can.”

Christie Tucker with Alberta Wildfire says there are 91 wildfires in the forest protection area, with 27 out of control.

“Winds have weakened today across most of the province, and temperatures are near normal for this time of year. But things will start to change tomorrow,” she told reporters Wednesday.

“It will get hotter and drier as we head to the weekend, and as we’ve seen, that can lead to more active wildfire behaviour.”

This makes 485 wildfires for 2023, burning more than 728,000 hectares, an increase from 616,000 hectares Tuesday.

“We have seen the area burned rise since yesterday. That’s in part because many of the wildfires on the landscape did see some growth, and we were better able to assess their size,” Tucker explained.

She says smoky conditions make it difficult for fire crews to fly over wildfires, meaning it can take longer to get an assessment of the damage.

“While some evacuated Albertans have begun going home. We all need to remember that this situation is volatile,” Tucker said.

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A total of 38,000 Albertans have been evacuated since the start of the wildfire season, with 12,000 Albertans remaining evacuated at this time, with 14 reception centres open for affected areas.

Meanwhile, 19 evacuation orders are in place, though several have been lifted, Ellis says, including Drayton Valley and parts of Brazeau Valley.

Colin Blair with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency says the province continues to be under a provincial state of emergency.

There are 22 states of local emergency, as well as five Band Council resolutions from Dene Tha’ First Nation, Kapawe’no First Nation, Little Red River Cree Nation (Fox Lake), Sturgeon Lake Cree First Nation, and Whitefish Lake First Nation.

Blair also says local officials will be able to speak with residents on the extent of damage caused by the fires in the coming days “after communities have reentered.”

Firefighter injured while offering support

More than 2,500 firefighters are dousing flames across the province, including support from other parts of Canada, the United States, and the Canadian Armed Forces. The province says 21 more firefighters will be arriving from News Brunswick Wednesday.

She also said a firefighter was injured in the Métis community of East Prairie. While she did not say who the firefighter was, a Gofundme opened up for one from the same area.

“News like this is felt by every firefighter, and our hearts sincerely go out to his family. This is a reminder to all of us about the challenges faced by firefighters and the risks involved with wildfire,” Tucker said.

“While some evacuated Albertans have begun going home. We all need to remember that this situation is volatile.”

Read More: Experienced Métis firefighter in coma after Alberta wildfire accident

Wednesday’s update also saw a senior medical officer from Alberta Health Services speak to the severity of the smoke settling in the province.

“With the right wind conditions, smoke particles can travel literally thousands of kilometres and accumulate in high concentrations, resulting in poor air quality potentially far and wide,” said Dr. Laura McDougal.

“You might not realize just how much the smoke is impacting you or your loved ones.”

She says Albertans may experience symptoms, such as general fatigue, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, headaches, or shortness of breath.

Poor air quality is more likely to negatively impact individuals with respiratory conditions and individuals with cardiovascular conditions such as angina or a previous heart attack.

The government says that since the announcement of the one-time emergency financial assistance for evacuees, more than 10,400 applications have been processed.

Over $16.4 million in e-transfers has been sent to evacuees, and more than $3.9 million in debit cards has been distributed.