Evacuation alert for Fort McMurray is still active due to an out-of-control fire burning nearby

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – Wildfires raging across northern Alberta prompted the mayor of one of the province’s largest municipalities to give a pep talk to his community on Saturday.

Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality Mayor Sandy Bowman said on social media: “While everyone is stressed right now, past experiences also show that the community is prepared for this situation.”

This refers to the 2016 wildfire that devastated the area and destroyed 2,400 homes.

According to the latest update around 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening, an out-of-control fire continued to burn 10 miles southwest of Fort McMurray, with the city and the nearby community of Saprae Creek remaining under evacuation alert.

The warning was originally issued on Friday and was expanded yesterday to several areas, including the Gregoire Lake Estates neighborhood south of Fort McMurray, as well as Fort McMurray First Nation #468, Anzac and Rickards Landing Industrial Park.

As of midnight Sunday, Alberta Wildfire reported that the fire had reached nearly 4,000 hectares in size.

It’s not the only out-of-control wildfire in Alberta, as fires in Grande Prairie County #1 and Greenview MD #16 had displaced people in rural areas.

Wildfire smoke has also affected Edmonton, as smoke from a wildfire in another province blanketed Alberta’s capital on Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press