Latest news with #SwanHills
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Fire bans across Alberta's Forest Protection Area stay in place with weather forecast warm, dry
The Edith Lake wildfire near Swan Hills, Alta., on May 29, 2025. Wildfires and fire risk across northern and central Alberta are keeping fire bans in place in several areas. While Edmonton is not under a fire ban, several communities outside the city have advisories and restrictions in place, including Strathcona Country, the city of St. Albert and the County of Wetaskiwin, which are under fire advisories, and Sturgeon County, Parkland County, Beaver County, Lamont County and Elk Island National Park, which are under fire restrictions. West and north of Edmonton, Alberta's Forest Protection Area is under a fire ban as are communities in Peace Country, Westlock County and Athabasca County, and near Lac La Biche and Cold Lake. Crews across the boreal forest that makes up most of northern Alberta and in several central areas have been using heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers among other things to limit the spread of wildfire, according to Alberta Wildfire. Weather Forecasts across central and northern Alberta by Environment Canada call for warm weather and no precipitation for much of the week. In Grande Prairie, High Level, Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, Hinton, Edson and Edmonton, temperatures will range from the low to mid 20s. Showers are forecast for Edson and Edmonton on Thursday night, with cloud and possible rain for northern and central areas by Friday. Wildfires of note There are 59 wildfires burning in Alberta Sunday afternoon, 27 of them under control, 22 out of control and 10 being held. Alberta highway closures Highway closures in Alberta due to wildfires on June 8, 2025. (Alberta 511) Red Earth East Several fires make up the Red Earth East complex, the most active being one near Red Earth Creek that's 604 square kilometres in size and another on the west side of Peerless Lake along Highway 686 at 79 square kilometres. The complex, located 350 kilometres north of Edmonton, is in the northeastern corner of the Slave Lake Forest Area. Others include one near Chipewyan Lakes (1,322 square kilometres) and another near the community of Peerless Lake that's 7.7 square kilometres. Communities in the area of the Red Earth East complex that are under evacuation orders are Chipewyan Lake, Peerless Lake, Trout Lake, Red Earth Creek and Loon River First Nation. Kiskatinaw River This out-of-control wildfire near Kelly Lake, B.C., has crossed into Alberta and is 143 square kilometres. Smoke overnight Saturday slowed down the wildfire. Alberta fire crews are working with their counterparts from B.C. and with the County of Grande Prairie on it. The fire is about 75 kilometres west of Grande Prairie and about 450 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Slims Creek This wildfire burning just west of Highway 35 about halfway between Peace River and High Level 65 kilometres north of Manning is 49 square kilometres and grew significantly on Friday because of wind. The County of Northern Lights has put people living north of Hawk Hills and near the Twin Lakes Provincial Park on an evacuation alert. The fire is about 150 kilometres south of High Level and about 480 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Tulip Lake Rain and cooler weather helped fire crews on Saturday with the Tulip Lake wildfire burning 15 km northeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 28 km east of Fort Smith, N.W.T. The out-of-control wildfire, which is 132 square kilometres in size, is about 725 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Crews are building a containment line south of Highway 58 on the northwest side of the fire. Sousa Creek Alberta Wildfire saw little growth between Friday and Saturday of this 396-square-kilometre wildfire five kilometres south of the Chateh community, which is 72 kilometres west of High Level and 650 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, due to work by fire crews and to lower fire behavior. Conklin wildfire The hamlet of Conklin in northeastern Alberta is on an evacuation alert due to a nearby wildfire in June 2025. (Alberta Wildfire) Caribou Lake Residents of Conklin are on evacuation alert as the 664-square-kilometre Caribou Lake wildfire burns out of control near the hamlet in northeastern Alberta. Alberta Wildfire had crews working overnight on the northwest side of the wildfire, and said crews will focus on the north and south sides of the wildfire, which are the closest to infrastructure. Conklin is 122 kilometres south of Fort McMurray and 279 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. Blue Sky This out-of-control wildfire just southeast of Utikuma Lake, 25 kilometres north of Marten Beach on Lesser Slave Lake and 260 kilometres northwest of Edmonton is 104 square kilometres. Alberta Wildfire says that while this fire's behaviour is low, there was increased fire activity on its northern side on Saturday afternoon.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Swan Hills residents given green light to return home
The Edith Lake wildfire (SWF076) north of Swan Hills on May 29, 2025. (Source: Alberta Wildfire) Swan Hills residents are able to return home Thursday for the first time since May 26, when the northern Alberta community was evacuated because of a nearby wildfire threat. Residents were allowed to return starting at 11 a.m. Highway 33 into the community is open but with reduced speed limits because crews are working in the area. The community of about 1,300 roughly 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton will remain on a four-hour evacuation alert. 'Please be aware that the wildfire danger still exists in our region, and you should be prepared in the event the situation worsens. Please be cautious and courteous during the re-entry process,' read a notice posted on the town's website. The blaze that prompted Swan Hills' evacuation, called the Edith Lake wildfire, is about eight kilometres north of the town and was last measured at 169 square kilometres. Alberta Wildfire reclassified its status from 'out of control' to 'being held' Wednesday evening, meaning the provincial agency does not expect it to grow past its current boundaries given current weather conditions and resources. The Edith Lake and Chrystina Lake Provincial Recreation Areas will remain closed. More information about re-entry protocols is available online. Wind expected to push B.C. wildfire into Alberta After being on alert for one week because of a fire south of Dawson Creek, B.C., residents in Alberta were told to evacuate on Thursday. The evacuated area is west of Beaverlodge. It's not known how many people live in the area. The 65-square kilometre Kiskatinaw River wildfire is just two kilometres from the provincial boundary line. Alberta's emergency alert said expected winds could push the fire into Alberta. Alberta evacuees were told to register at the Hythe Community Library. B.C. Wildfire Service said it was anticipating a challenging weekend, with a cold front bringing in wind gusts up to 70 km/h. Alberta Wildfire is contributing resources to the firefight.
CTV News
05-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Swan Hills' potential Thursday re-entry date dependent on promising wildfire outlook
The Town of Swan Hills, which was evacuated May 26 because of a wildfire, is working on a re-entry plan, officials announced Wednesday. Residents may be allowed to return home as soon as Thursday, however, the timeline is dependent on an update about wildfire conditions from the province Wednesday evening. 'There are many factors to take into consideration as we work towards this goal. Fire behavior is very dynamic and can change very quickly. We are basing our decision for this potential date and time on being able to meet benchmarks to ensure a safe return to the public,' the town said in an update on its website. Officials called wildfire projections 'pivotal' to the decision. Swan Hills, a community of about 1,300, is located about 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton in the Swan Lake Forest Area. According to the most recent information from Alberta Wildfire, the Edith Lake wildfire roughly eight kilometres north of Swan Hills continues to burn out of control and is 168 square kilometres big. The blaze did not grow over Tuesday night.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
More than 4,000 Albertans forced to flee fires, critical infrastructure believed destroyed in northern Alberta
The Edith Lake wildfire (SWF076) north of Swan Hills on May 29, 2025. (Source: Alberta Wildfire) At least two-dozen structures are believed to have been destroyed by wildfire in northern Alberta, the chief of one of the evacuated communities says. Chief Andy Alook of Bigstone Cree Nation, which sits more than 300 kilometres north of Edmonton, announced the news to his members in a video posted to social media on Sunday. 'Based on pictures shared by the firefighters that were in the community, we believe we have lost 27 structures, including the senior centre, the water treatment plant, the church and the Bigstone Health Centre,' he said. Alook said the information was based on the final assessment done by firefighters before they left the area on Thursday. Wildfire breached Chipewyan Lake around 8 p.m., just three hours after the community was evacuated. 'Please keep in mind this is not a boots-on-the-ground assessment yet, an aerial assessment team was in Chipewyan Lake and will have a preliminary report along with photos for us [Monday.]' Alook added fire was so intense it destroyed fire protection hoses and equipment. Chipewyan Lake is part of the Slave Lake forest area, which contains nearly half of the out-of-control wildfires in Alberta. Several of the communities in the area have been evacuated, and the province says wildfire damage remains high. Rain over the weekend wasn't enough to help and warm temperatures are expected to evaporate any surface moisture quickly. Yellowhead County evacuations Closer to Edmonton, residents in three communities in Yellowhead County will be able to return home on Tuesday starting at noon. Wade Williams, the county's mayor, says firefighters managed to stop a fire burning near the hamlet of Peers at the railroad tracks at the edge of the hamlet. 'I don't know if people realize how close we came to losing the entire hamlet of Peers, but had the system we had in place not been in place, that hamlet was in huge trouble,' Williams said. Residents of Peers, as well as Robb and Mercoal, are being told to expect to see firefighting equipment still in the area when they return home later this week. 'We are not out of this as of yet, but we have some breathing room for the moment. Crews will continue working these active fires for days to come, until they are completely out. 'The fire hazard is high and the potential for new starts is high. Everyone in the county should have an evacuation plan,' Williams said. Swan Hills fire Meanwhile, residents of Swan Lake, Alta., can now apply for emergency evacuation payments from the province. The wildfire threatening the town is still burning out of control and firefighters are working to protect structures in the community. Additional firefighting resources from Yukon and the United States are on route to help fight the fire. The province says as of Monday, about 4,625 Albertans have been forced out of their homes due to wildfires. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nicole Lampa
Reuters
02-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Alberta's wildfires disrupt some 7% of Canada's oil production
CALGARY, June 2 (Reuters) - Wildfires burning in Canada's oil-producing province of Alberta have affected more than 344,000 barrels per day of oil sands production, or about 7% of the country's overall crude oil output, according to Reuters calculations. At least two thermal oil sands operators south of the industry hub of Fort McMurray evacuated workers from their sites over the weekend and shut production as a precaution. Canadian Natural Resources ( opens new tab said it evacuated workers from its Jackfish 1 location and shut in approximately 36,500 bpd of bitumen production. Cenovus Energy ( opens new tab said it evacuated non-essential personnel from its Christina Lake oil sands site, and shut in approximately 238,000 bpd of production. The company said on Sunday it is not aware of any damage to its infrastructure and anticipates a full restart of its Christina Lake operations in the near term. MEG Energy ( opens new tab said on Friday it had evacuated workers from its Christina Lake site. While production at the site continues, the company said on Saturday that the fires caused a power outage that is delaying startup of its Phase 2B operations, which represent approximately 70,000 barrels per day of production. Wildfires have also affected some of Alberta's conventional oil-and-gas production. A blaze burning near the town of Swan Hills in the northern part of the province forced Aspenleaf Energy to shut in about 4,000 bpd of production last week. Canada produces about 4.9 million barrels of oil per day. Alberta has 49 active fires and there are 24 active fires in Manitoba and 16 in Saskatchewan, according to provincial data. In parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, air quality reached unhealthy levels on Monday, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow page. In 2023, Canadian wildfires blanketed much of the U.S. East Coast in smoke, forcing millions of Americans to stay indoors. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said on Monday that some 400,000 hectares (988,422 acres) have now burned in the province, up from about 9,000 as of last week. She said nearly 5,000 people have been evacuated, adding that the government is restarting its emergency management cabinet committee out of concerns the situation in the province is worsening. "We've got to be able to respond in a way that is going to be rapid," Smith told reporters in Saskatoon. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre says that as of June 1, a total of 1.4 million hectares have burned so far across Canada. Last week, Manitoba urged 17,000 people to evacuate due to fires in the province's remote north. Wildfires have hit oil and gas production in Canada several times in the past decade. Last year, Suncor Energy ( opens new tab, Canada's second-largest oil sands producer, temporarily curtailed production at its Firebag complex due to a nearby blaze. In May of 2023, companies shut in at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or 3.7% of Canada's total production, as more than 100 wildfires burned in Alberta. In 2016, thousands of oil sands workers were evacuated as a monster wildfire destroyed part of the community of Fort McMurray, forcing companies to reduce their oil output by a million barrels per day.
