Evacuation order stays in place as wildfire continues to menace town west of Edmonton

A wildfire that forced the evacuation of a town west of Edmonton continues to menace the community with crews also battling heavy, vision-obscuring smoke.

Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara says the fire remains within 1.5 kilometres of his town’s southern outskirts, giving crews little time to respond if the blaze flares up or shifts.

The evacuation order is also in place for adjoining sections of Yellowhead County and won’t be reassessed until Wednesday at the earliest.

Christine Beveridge, the chief administrative officer for Edson, says some residents are returning to the town despite the evacuation order.

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Beveridge urges those residents to leave, saying crews can’t offer assistance while also fighting the fire.

There are about 14,000 residents across Alberta out of their homes due to fires scattered through the northern and western areas of the province.

Support for evacuees

Those who have been evacuated are able to apply for support from the provincial government.

“With the ongoing wildfire situation, Alberta’s government is ensuring that those needing to evacuate their homes are receiving the support they need at this difficult time. Payments are being made to individuals and families to support them with added costs such as food, fuel, and hotels,” said Hunter Baril, Press Secretary for the Office of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety & Emergency Services.

“Anyone in Alberta who has been evacuated from their home due to wildfire for more than seven total days is eligible to apply for a one time support payment of $1,250 per adult and an additional $500 per child under 18. Our government encourages anyone eligible to apply as soon as possible to get the support they need.”

The province notes that Albertans can take the following steps to determine if they are eligible, how long payments will take to arrive and how to apply for the available supports:

Here is some information laying out how to apply, eligibility criteria, and timelines for payment.

• Any Albertan who has been evacuated under mandatory evacuation order from their primary residence for seven days or more can apply for a one-time emergency evacuation payment to help during this difficult time.
• If residents were evacuated, returned to their homes, and then were re-evacuated, they are still eligible to receive an evacuation payment if they have been evacuated for a cumulative total of seven days.
• Secondary residences and recreational properties are not eligible.
• Eligible evacuees will receive $1,250 per adult and an additional $500 per child under 18. This means that an evacuated family with two adults and two children will receive $3,500.
• Evacuees can apply for the payment at alberta.ca/emergency using an Alberta.ca Account.
• Funds can take up to 24 hours to flow into accounts and will be disbursed via e-transfer.
• Applications will be open for 30 days after the last mandatory evacuation order ends; however, we encourage eligible evacuees to apply as soon as possible.
• Evacuees who are unable to receive an e-transfer or who cannot apply online can contact 310-4455 for assistance and to make alternate payment arrangements.