Latest news with #AlbertaEmergencyAlert
Global News
4 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
After 2011 wildfire, Slave Lake better prepared amid current evacuation alert
A northern Alberta community that's no stranger to the devastation of a wildfire is on standby to flee if needed. After lightning from a thunderstorm sparked a fire on Sunday in the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River, an evacuation alert was issued both for the rural area surrounding the blaze, as well as for the town of Slave Lake — which was razed by one of Alberta's costliest wildfires in 2011. At the time, nearly 400 homes and businesses, including an apartment complex and town hall, were reduced to ash and rubble when fierce winds whipped flames through the town north of Edmonton with little warning. Damages were pegged at $700 million — one of the country's costliest disasters until the Fort McMurray wildfire happened out four years later. The fire burning now is about 20 kilometres northeast of Slave Lake and 12 kilometres to the east of Marten Beach. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen The SWF149 wildfire near Slave Lake, Alta., broke out on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Alberta Wildfire 'It grew to about 40 hectares within two hours, which is pretty significant growth for a fire in under two hours,' said Ryan Coutts, deputy fire chief with the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service. 'It's just under 20 kilometres from Slave Lake right now, and then some other subdivisions that we're watching, just over 10 kilometres to some of those subdivisions north of Slave Lake.' An Alberta Emergency Alert is in effect for the town of Slave Lake, including properties along Devonshire Road North and everyone in the MD of Lesser Slave River located in the Hamlet of Marten Beach, Summerwood, Township Road 740 and Gillwood Golf Course. Everyone in the town and on properties along Devonshire Road North must be prepared to evacuate within eight hours' notice. Everyone close to the fire in the MD of Lesser Slave River needs to be ready to flee within four hours. Story continues below advertisement 2:06 Slave Lake fire: 5 years later 'Generally we set trigger points for what we are seeing that fire do and then how much time we need or we think we need to get everyone out safely. You know, lessons learned from 2011 to try and not have that mass chaos and get people out safely with not as much panic as possible, I guess,' Coutts said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The town aims to give residents as much advance notice as possible so they can be prepared. 'Yes, it is a stressful situation. Yes, people are gonna be nervous and anxious, but the point of trying to give that information early is so that people can go and get gas and can pack some things up and can have the time to do that and kind of process rather than doing it at the last second,' Coutts said. 2:01 Looking ahead to Alberta's wildfire season Cooler temperatures and rain on Monday have helped reduce the fire activity, but that relief is expected to be temporary with return of hot and dry conditions later this week. Story continues below advertisement The out-of-control wildfire and related evacuation alerts can be triggering to resident who experienced the devastating 2011 fire – however the opposite is also true. Some Slave Lake residents say they are almost desensitized, and lack a sense of urgency because there's so many emergency alerts nowadays. 'We get so many of them that you start to kind of not pay a whole lot of attention to them,' said Laura Somerville, adding they are prepared in the event they do have to flee on short notice. ' You have your little box ready to go with all your important information in it and so on.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: " You have your little box ready to go with all your important information in it and so on." Residents have seen an increase in water bomber activity in the area in the past 24 hours with crews scooping up water from Lesser Slave Lake. Somerville's husband works in forestry. She said they have an inside scoop on whether a fire like the one that started on Sunday is something to be worried about or not. 'He wasn't super worried about it,' Somerville said. 'We've got really good firefighting crews and everybody was on it like immediately, so you become a little less worried for that reason I think because we know there's good people taking care of us.' Coutts said the emergency alert system isn't perfect and the criteria for when alerts are sent, and who gets them, could be refined so they aren't ignored. Story continues below advertisement The 2011 blaze was, at the time, was one of the worst in Canadian history and prompted a visit from the newlyweds William, Prince of Wales and his wife Catherine. View image in full screen The Duke And Duchess of Cambridge inspect a fire damaged car as they walk through Slave Lake, Alta., on July 6, 2011. Photo by Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images In the nearly 15 years since the Slave Lake wildfire, the community has made changes from lessons observed at home and elsewhere. One such change: modifying fire trucks so they can be more responsive to wildfires, not just structure fires in town. 'The ladder truck, for example, didn't have any forestry hose on it because generally a ladder truck is not used to fight forest fires. We've seen that where we had to use absolutely everything that we had,' Coutts said. 'So little tweaks like that to equipment, trucks and equipment being specifically bought with some of those applications in mind.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "So little tweaks like that to equipment, trucks and equipment being specifically bought with some of those applications in mind." Story continues below advertisement There's also more joint training. 'We have really good training for wildland firefighters, we have good training for structural firefighters but in the last 10 years, how do we bring those together so that people can be safe in these environments where wildland fires are coming into communities?' Coutts said strong mutual aid agreements with surrounding communities and Alberta Wildfire crews is also key. 'We can pull resources from probably five counties pretty easily with just phone calls,' he said, adding firefighters from across Alberta pitch in to help when needed. 'We had a crew from 40 Mile County, which is down by Lethbridge, up here this year for a wildfire,' he said. 'It's awesome that everyone's willing to help, especially from southern Alberta when maybe they're wet and we're dry up here.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's awesome that everyone's willing to help, especially from southern Alberta when maybe they're wet and we're dry up here." Story continues below advertisement The fire risk on Monday was moderate, down from very high on Sunday when conditions were hot and dry. As of Monday afternoon, the wildfire near Slave Lake had only grown about four hectares overnight. Firefighters in helicopters and airtankers responded, Alberta Wildifre said, explaining heavy equipment built containment line around the fire and night vision-equipped helicopters and firefighters worked overnight. Rain reduced fire activity on Monday as additional firefighters and heavy equipment were enroute to help. So far in 2025, Alberta Wildfire said there have been 147 wildfires reported in the Slave Lake Forest Area, burning a total of 378,250 hectares. 1:59 Jasper mayor stands by report critical of province's wildfire response: 'Not a political statement' — with files from Lisa MacGregor, Global News
Global News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Tornado warning issued for area of Alberta between Edmonton and Obed Lake
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a tornado warning for an area in central Alberta between Edmonton and Obed Lake on Wednesday afternoon. The weather agency issued the warning just after 5 p.m. and said the alert was issued for that area 'within approximately 150 kilometres north or south of Highway 16.' 'Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes,' ECCC said in an Alberta Emergency Alert that it issued. 'Strong winds, large hail and heavy rain are also possible. Some severe thunderstorms that occur in these regions may produce a tornado. The greatest tornado risk is between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation.' More to come…
Global News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Tornado warning issued for part of Yellowhead County in Alberta
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a tornado warning for an area in Yellowhead County on Tuesday night. The weather agency said it was also issuing an Alberta Emergency Alert for the area near Minnow and Wolf Lakes and Elk River at 6:45 p.m. ECCC said its meteorologists were 'tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible,' the weather agency said. 'This thunderstorm is located 45 km southeast of Edson and is moving towards the east at 30 km/h. 'This is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation. Tornado warnings are issued when imminent or occurring thunderstorms are likely to produce or are producing tornadoes.' More to come…
Global News
25-06-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Tornado watch issued for eastern, central Alberta as thunderstorms expected
Parts of eastern and central Alberta along the Saskatchewan border were put under a tornado watch on Wednesday. Environment Canada said conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms which may produce tornadoes late Wednesday afternoon and evening. Severe thunderstorm watches were also issued for a broader area, as strong winds with gusts of up to 90 km/h, large hail of two to four cm and heavy rain are possible for much of eastern and northern Alberta. The national weather agency said most of the thunderstorms would be non-severe, with an exception of areas near the Saskatchewan border where supercell formation could occur. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Albertans are advised to be prepared for severe weather and take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches. In the event of a tornado, or if a tornado warning is issued for your area, Environment Canada recommends you take the following actions: Go indoors to a room on the lowest floor possible, away from outside walls and windows, such as a basement, bathroom, stairwell or interior closet. Story continues below advertisement Leave mobile homes, vehicles, tents, trailers and other temporary or free-standing shelter, and move to a stronger, more permanent building if you can. 'As a last resort, lie in a low spot and protect your head from flying debris,' the alert said. As of 1 p.m. MT, nearly three dozen communities and rural areas were included in the tornado watch, which was also sent out in an Alberta Emergency Alert: Alliance Amisk Beaver County Chauvin Czar Dewberry Edgerton Flagstaff County Hardisty Hughenden Innisfree Irma Killam Kitscoty Lloydminster Lougheed Makaoo (Part) 120 Mannville Marwayne Minburn Minburn County No. 27 Myrnam Paradise Valley Provost Provost No. 52 Sedgewick Two Hills Two Hills County No. 21 Vermilion Vermilion River County No. 24 Viking Wainwright Wainwright No. 61 The list above is subject to change as the weather does, so Albertans are advised to download the Alberta Emergency Alert app and keep an eye on weather notifications in their area. Tornado watches are issued when atmospheric conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms that could produce tornadoes.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Here's the latest on wildfires and evacuations across Alberta
Alberta has a total of 56 wildfires burning in its Forest Protection Area as of Thursday morning. Twenty-three of those fires are out of control and five are being held. The MD of Greenview cancelled an evacuation order for Greenview No. 16 just after 9:30 a.m. The Forestry Trunk Road is now open, Alberta Emergency Alert said, but asked people to use caution in the area. For more information on the latest evacuation orders and alerts, visit Alberta Emergency Alert.
