An out-of-control wildfire that is spreading rapidly toward Grande Prairie has triggered evacuations, civic officials and police said Sunday afternoon.
The province via its emergency alert service said everyone living south of Township Road 710 to 27 Avenue and East of Range Road 64 to Highway 40 “must evacuate immediately.”
Police have closed roads and are redirecting traffic.
Grande Prairie’s population is 65,000.
Alberta RCMP told CTV News Edmonton the fire started at Range Road 64 and Township Road 710, about four kilometres southwest of the city limits. RCMP said the fire is getting close to an industrial park.
The County of Grande Prairie said in a media release late Sunday afternoon its firefighters, the city’s fire crews and Alberta Wildfire personnel responded to a report of a wildfire near Deer Ridge Estates at Range Road 64 between township roads 704 and 710. The county said the fire is past the lake at Deer Ridge Estates.
Luke Shropshire, a contractor who lives in Grande Prairie, told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday evening he started to notice smoke appearing in the sky to the southwest of the city at 2 p.m. while working on the roof of a house in the Westpointe neighbourhood.
Shropshire said emergency personnel, including firefighters and police, worked quickly to get to the fire and to put up road blocks. He said bomber planes were dropping what appeared to be a red chemical on the fire.
People in Grande Prairie posting on social media say they’ve seen several planes, helicopters, ground crews and two water bombers fighting the fire.
Evacuees are asked to check in with officials at the Pomeroy Hotel in Grande Prairie. The province advises them to take important documents, medication, medical devices with them from their homes.
