Alberta Wildfire announced Tuesday evening the wildfire was held and no larger than 67 hectares. At its peak, it burned 90 hectares of land.
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The fire near Saprae Creek is no longer spreading and the evacuation alert for the hamlet has ended.
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Alberta Wildfire announced Tuesday evening that the wildfire was held and no larger than 67 hectares. At its peak, the wildfire burned across 90 hectares of land. The fire is roughly 4.5 kilometers from Saprae Creek. The wildfire was first seen Sunday at 3:48 p.m. about six kilometers west of Saprae Creek.
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Ground crews and workers with heavy equipment are strengthening the fire guard between the fire and the hamlet. Helicopters and airtankers continue to help fight the fire. For the second night in a row, a helicopter equipped with night vision used its water bucket to help slow the spread of the wildfire.
“Anyone in the area and all residents in the region should continue to stay informed and be prepared during wildfire season, especially with the extremely dry conditions, elevating the wildfire risk,” reads a statement from the RMWB.
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Alberta Wildfire says the risk for wildfires in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo area is “very high.” The region is under a fire advisory that issues fire permits on a case-by-case basis. Existing permits remain valid, but renewals are not guaranteed.
Gas and propane stoves and barbecues, catalytic or infrared-style heaters, portable propane fire pits and backyard fire pits are still allowed.
Wood campfires are allowed, provided they are on rock, gravel, sand or another non-combustible surface that extends at least one meter around the fire. The fire should be watched by at least one responsible person in attendance. Enough water to douse the fire should be nearby.
It is illegal to fly drones near wildfires because they can disrupt flight paths of helicopters and airtankers. Wood Buffalo RCMP say at least one drone was spotted flying near the Saprae Creek wildfire on April 21.
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“This is a very dry year and we all knew that was coming with the lack of precipitation we saw in the winter. We just didn’t expect it this early,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman in a Monday interview. “People are pretty stressed and there’s plenty of anxious people who have memories from 2016. Everybody’s on the edge a bit.”
Bowman was happy municipal and provincial firefighting crews were able to rush quickly to the wildfire. However, it burned out of control for more than a day. Bowman says the fire’s strength shows how hot and dry this fire season will be for the region.
Most members of Regional Emergency Services are veterans of the 2016 Horse River Wildfire and last year’s wildfire in Fort Chipewyan, said Bowman. He is confident they will be ready for this year’s wildfire season.
“We have the full attention of the province with what’s going on here. We’re just discussing further steps about the situation now,” he said. “They’re not taking anything lightly. As soon as anything sparks up, they’re hitting it with full force.”
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vmcdermott@postmedia.com
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