Alberta parks closed for May long due to wildfires, evacuation lifted for some

The province is asking people to stay safe and not do anything that may lead to fires over the long weekend and closures at numerous parks until further notice.

This comes as 92 active wildfires continue to burn in the province, with 26 out-of-control and most of the province under a fire ban.

Todd Loewen, the minister of forestry, parks, and tourism, says the list of closures will continue to be updated and that campers that placed reservations will be cancelled, but adds they will receive a full refund.

“These restrictions and closures are in place until further notice. The wildfire situation is changing daily, and we are committed to making decisions that protect the safety of Albertans,” he said Thursday.

The parks that are closed are listed below.

• Young’s Point Provincial Park
• Williamson Provincial Park
• Smoke Lake Provincial Recreation Area
• Saskatoon Island Provincial Park
• Winagami Lake Provincial Park
• Brazeau Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area
• Two Lakes Provincial Park
• Iosegun Lake Provincial Recreation Area
• Waskahigan River Provincial Recreation Area
• Blue Rapids Provincial Recreation Area
• Minnow Lake Provincial Recreation Area
• Wolf Lake West Provincial Recreation Area

Several other sites are being monitored, and the province will provide more in the coming days. The list, which will be updated, can be viewed online.

Meanwhile, Valleyview evacuation orders have been lifted in Alberta, which began at noon on Thursday.

“While the situation there and in many parts of the province remain serious, this bit of positive news highlights the importance of doing everything we can as Albertans to support the tireless work of our wildfire personnel by allowing them to focus on protecting our homes and communities,” Loewen said.

This comes as 10,343 people remain evacuated.

More information about being prepared to evacuate can be found online.

Firefighters help from across Canada to deal with ‘extraordinary’ fires

There are currently 1,700 Alberta wildland firefighters and 987 from other agencies across the province, including from the U.S.

They are expecting 113 more from the U.S. and 18 more from the Yukon.

“The fire danger is expected to be extreme across the northern parts of the province again today, which could result in some active wildfire behaviour,” Christie Tucker with Alberta Wildfire said.

“Under these conditions, a wildfire can start easily and spread quickly.”

While firefighters have been dealing with hot, dry, and windy conditions, Tucker says progress has been made.

“We continue to reinforce fire breaks around communities, work on new fire starts, and put out hotspots on active wildfires,” she said.

Alberta fire crews have responded to 487 fires since the start of the year, with 767,000 hectares burned.

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Tuckers says the numbers are “extraordinary,” and are double the season average, saying fires are throughout the province rather than on one or two large-scale wildfires.

“We’ve seen unusual conditions. We’ve seen unusual numbers of firefighters needed. We are testing the record book on almost every measure,” she said.

“There are a lot of things that are different about this year. And that’s why we have to take extraordinary measures to bring in extra help in order to keep the situation under control.”

She says they see more human-caused fires at this time of year.

“As we’re heading into the May long weekend, that is traditionally the time when we start to see wildfires on a larger scale because of people out and about in recreation areas,” Tucker said

“That’s why you’re hearing a very stark message right now about the dangers of starting a new wildfire here in the province, and why it’s so important to listen to the warnings that are out there and help us prevent any new wildfires from starting,” Tucker said.

Volunteer firefighters

Colin Blair, with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, says they received 500 emails from Albertans wanting to help put out the flames, with 158 of them being firefighters.

“We’re actively triaging each of those emails based on qualifications and certification, and we’re connecting individuals to local municipalities who could use them,” he said.

In addition, he says Calgary firefighters helping douse the flames in Grande Prairie were not trained for the wildfires.

“They were municipal firefighters not trained specifically for fighting wildfire. When the fires in those areas were contained, they returned to Calgary where they have time off and get ready [to be] deployed where needed,” he said.

“Generally speaking, when firefighters from outside the community are demobilized, they return to their home community until they are requested again.”

He says this is normal when there is an incident.

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

Tucker says volunteer firefighters will be compensated for their time, and Loewen says the province will be compensating municipalities that pay the volunteers.

“We want to make sure that they’re encouraged to be there and be there helping out, knowing full well that they’re taking time off their jobs and from away from their families,” Loewen said.

“We want to make sure that they’re they are encouraged to be there and help us with this situation that we’re in.”

When it comes to an understanding the circumstances around alerts, Blair says to download the Alberta Emergency Alert app and follow social media accounts.

He also reminds Albertans that have been evacuated that there continues to be a nightly digital town hall at 7:30 p.m., every day.

Government officials and emergency personnel will be available to answer questions at 1-833-380-0691 or listen to questions online.