A large out-of-control┬аwildfire in northern Alberta has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
According to an update from Alberta Wildfire on Thursday afternoon, the Fox Lake wildfire covers about 4,400┬аhectares.
In a video posted to Facebook on Thursday, Little Red River Cree Nation Chief Conroy Sewepagaham said about 3,700 residents have evacuated the community.
In another video posted later Thursday,┬аSewepagaham┬аsaid the fire has “grown significantly and continues to move westward.”
Little Red River Cree Nation is made up of three Woodland Cree communities: Fox Lake, Garden River and John D’Or Prairie. The majority of the population lives in Fox Lake┬атАФ┬аeast of High Level, about 600 kilometres north of Edmonton.┬а
According to Alberta Wildfire, there are 61 active wildfires in the province.
Other evacuations
Hundreds of Albertans are on evacuation order due to wildfires burning throughout central Alberta.
A wildfire alert was issued for residents in Leduc County, south of Edmonton, near the village of Warburg.
The evacuation order┬аis in effect for┬аRange Road 41 east to Range Road 35 and from Township Road 494 north to Township Road 495. The affected area is about 6.5┬аkilometres north and eight kilometres┬аwest of Warburg.┬а
An emergency alert was issued for the community of Wildwood, west of Edmonton, on┬аThursday afternoon. The alert notes there is an evacuation order for the area north of Wildwood, from Township Road 544 to Township Road 553 east to Highway 22 and west to Range Road 92.
There is also an evacuation order in place for residents southeast of Drayton Valley due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Residents in the area north of Township Road 482 and south of Highway 39, and west of Range Road 64 and east of Highway 71, must evacuate immediately.
Lac Ste. Anne County issued an evacuation order Thursday afternoon for everyone between Range Road 60, west to Range Road 63 and from Township Road 544 A to Highway 43.
There is a wildfire near Range Road 60 and Township Road 560, the county said. A reception area is open at the Sangudo Arena in Sangudo.
