States of emergency in 3 Alberta counties as wildfires burn

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Wildfires continued to burn out of control Wednesday northeast of Edmonton, as states of emergency continued in Strathcona, Lamont and Sturgeon Counties.

The fire in Strathcona County has grown, officials said Wednesday. As of 9 a.m., the fire had grown to 3,400 hectares, with about 200 firefighters fighting the blaze. Fire officials said the fire has held but is still not under control.

Twenty-seven families who live north of Township Road 560 were ordered to leave their homes Tuesday, an evacuation order which remained in effect on Wednesday.

Firefighters were also fighting a new, unrelated fire in heavy brush at Wye Road and Range Road 202.

Sturgeon County declared its state of emergency at 7 p.m. Tuesday, covering an area between Township Road 564 to Highway 28 and Range Road 223 to Range Road 230. A number of homes in that area are under an evacuation order and at least two homes have been destroyed.
'It was just black'

While the fires have moved away from the Sturgeon County town of Redwater, they came close last night.

George Skoreiko had to leave his house outside the town Tuesday night. The flames didn't reach the building and by Wednesday, he was back home and able to paint a vivid picture of what he saw.

"I looked towards my place. Smoke was really billowing there. It was just black," he said. "And then as we got closer, the flames had jumped the railroad track, and it was just flying there and there's kind of like six groves of jack pine in there, and it just went through there like a shot."

In Lamont County, the fire has grown from 2,500 to 2,900 acres, or just under 1,200 hectares, and joined up with the fire in Strathcona County, officials announced Wednesday. There is no immediate danger for residents in Bruderheim, they said. A message board for public notices about the fire has been set up outside the Bruderheim Town Hall. Another board will be set up at the Lamont County office Wednesday afternoon.

The RCMP has blocked off roads in Lamont County along Highway 38 from Range Roads 203 to 204. Township Road 562 is closed between Range Roads 203 and 205. The only people allowed in that area are emergency personnel and homeowners whose property is not in immediate danger.

Alberta's Sustainable Resources Development added resources — including water bombers, bulldozers and crews — to help in the fight.

Smoke from the fires led to a deterioration of air quality north of Edmonton, so Alberta Health Services announced that people with respiratory conditions should monitor their symptoms and consult with their doctor if they have breathing problems.

Alberta Health also suggests people with existing respiratory conditions stay indoors and keep their windows closed.