Drayton Valley, Surrounding Area Evacuated Amid Out-of-control Wildfires

Out-of-control wildfires have caused thousands of people living in the Drayton Valley and the surrounding area to evacuate. Alberta Emergency Management Agency issued an “Evacuate immediately” order at just after 11 p.m. on Thursday night.

Alberta Emergency Management Agency has asked people of Drayton Valley and the surrounding area to leave their homes immediately. Out-of-control wildfires in the area are posing a risk to the people living in the area of Township Road 484 north to Township Road 494, and North Saskatchewan River west to Range Road 80.

A reception center has been set up to help people evacuate. A Facebook post from Brazeau County says, “Anybody that is unable to evacuate the community, a staging area is being established at Kal Tire with buses available to take people out of Drayton Valley to be taken towards Stony Plain.”

There are about 7,000 people living in Drayton Valley and it is located about 95 kilometres southwest of Edmonton. By 6 p.m, the Alberta government notified that 3,726 people had been evacuated and at the time, there were 72 active wildfires.

The government also reported that the wildfire has destroyed 20 homes, an RCMP detachment, and a store in the northern community of Fox Lake. Furthermore, evacuation orders have been given to other rural areas west and southwest of Edmonton.

Several parts of Alberta are on fire due to the windy and unseasonably hot conditions.

Vineet Washington