Little Smoky Area Evacuation Order Issued by South Peace News, May 15, 2016
A mandatory evacuation notice and State of Local Emergency have been issued in the M.D. of Greenview south of the Hamlet of Little Smoky effective immediately. Both sides of Highway 43 are being evacuated from Township Roads 650 to 664 and Range Roads 215 to 210 (Legal Land Description: Township 66 21 5 south of the Iosegun River and Township 65 21 5).
Authorities will be contacting residents directly in the affected area. Evacuees are to report to the reception centre at the Paradise Inn, Valleyview. Small animals can be brought to the Paradise Inn. The Fox Creek Fire Department is assisting with the evacuation and the evacuation of larger animals can be coordinated with them.
The Valleyview Agricultural Society has arranged to shelter large animals at the Valleyview Agricultural Grounds. Further updates will be provided when information becomes available.
The evacuation order does not apply to the Town of Fox Creek or the Hamlet of Little Smoky at this time. [Emphasis added]
For current information regarding alerts, consult this website and http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/.
Mandatory evacuation notice issued for residents near Fox Creek by Jennifer Ivanov, May 15, 2016, Global News
Fox Creek Fire Department, Facebook
EDMONTON – A mandatory evacuation notice and State of Local Emergency has been declared in the M.D. of Greenview south of the hamlet of Little Smoky near Fox Creek.
A massive wildfire sparked Sunday afternoon is burning approximately 8 kilometres south of Little Smoky and 11 kilometres north of Fox Creek.
The notice to evacuate immediately applies to residents on Township 66 21 5 south of the Iosegun River and all of Township 65 21 5 on both sides of Highway 43.
The Alberta Emergency Alert was issued at 9:09 p.m. Sunday.
A reception centre has been established at the Paradise Inn in Valleyview and evacuees are being asked to report there.
Small animals can be brought to the Paradise Inn. Residents are being asked to coordinate the evacuation of larger animals with the Fox Creek Fire Department. Those animals will be sheltered at the Valleyview Agricultural Society Grounds.
The fire started about 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon and by 10 p.m. Sunday evening it was was over 799 hectares in size.
According to Wildfire Information Officer Shannon Stambaugh that’s more than double the size of the Fort McMurray wildfire.
“I would classify it as an intense fire,” Stambaugh said.
Stambaugh said the extreme smoke prevented firefighters from getting a real understanding of how large the wildfire was initially.
38 firefighters, 15 air tankers, 8 helicopters and various pieces of equipment are fighting the blaze.
“Fire crews will continue to work until sunset or until it is safe to do so,” Stambaugh added.
The wind was fanning the flames away from Fox Creek Sunday evening.
“It was very concerning,” Jim Ahn said, Mayor of Fox Creek. He added his town “is opening it’s doors to evacuees.”
A ‘wildfire information alert’ was issued by the M.D. of Greenview during the supper hour Sunday for the residents of Little Smoky. The alert cautioned residents about smoke which could cause reduced visibility and hazardous road conditions along Highway 43. At that point, the fire was approximately 18 kilometres southeast of Little Smoky. [Emphasis added]
‘Out of control’ wildfire forces mandatory evacuations in MD of Greenview, The current size of the wildfire is 800 hectares by Mack Lamoureux, May 15, 2016, CBC News
The fire is encroaching also encroaching on the Trilogy energy plant north of the community but it is moving away from the facility. (Facebook/Fox Creek Fire Department)
An out of control wildfire burning about 10 kilometres north of Fox Creek has forced mandatory evacuations in the municipal district of Greenview.
The evacuation areas are south of the hamlet of Little Smoky, south of the Iosegun River and all of Township 65 on both sides of Highway 43.
A state of local emergency has also been declared for those areas. Evacuees are asked to report to the Paradise Inn in Valleyview.
Barry Shellian with Agriculture and Forestry said the fire is roughly nine kilometres southeast of the nearest community and is moving north.
“The fire is demonstrating extreme wildfire behaviour and it’s growing rapidly,” said Shellian.
The fire is currently 800 hectares, far larger than the 60 hectare fire that was being fought only hours ago.
Near Fox Creek
Fox Creek mayor Jim Ahn said having a fire so near the town is “very discomforting.”
“It’s very worrisome. They are doing what they can to keep the fire under control but I realize it is out of control.”
The fire was also encroaching on the Trilogy energy plant north of the community but Shellian said it is now moving away from that facility as well.
He said the fire is being bolstered by dry conditions and the wind.
There are currently eight water bombers, 43 firefighters, eighteen pieces of heavy equipment and six helicopters fighting the fires.
Shellian said the heavy equipment on scene is currently working to go around the flanks of the fire to build a perimeter.
Fox Creek and Little Smoky are about 250 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. [And heavily inundated with industry’s deadly sour gas infrastructure and wells] [Emphasis added]
[Refer also to:
2016 03 03: Devolution of a Species. Alberta Venture Special Report: Towns in Alberta’s industrial heartland ran out of water last summer. Is fracking to blame? Is “No Duty of Care” legally immune AER’s one-size-fits-all, world-record quaking frac frenzy drying up Fox Creek’s drinking water supply? [And drying up the waterways the way tarsands companies are up in Fort McMurray (there with the added adverse impact of draining, drying up vast areas of muskeg)?]