By Canadian Press

Alberta officials hoping cooler weather and showers slow wildfires

May 7, 2023 | 12:23 PM

EDMONTON — Cooler temperatures and a bit of rain are expected to deliver some relief for firefighters as they continue to battle wildfires that threaten communities in northern Alberta, but provincial officials warn the reprieve isn’t expected to last long and lightning is sparking additional blazes.

Electric transmission company AltaLink posted on Twitter late Saturday that “the incredible work of firefighters” slowed fire growth that was posing a threat to utility lines supplying power to areas west of Edson, including Hinton, Robb and Jasper, and that cooler weather was expected to help, too.

Edson itself has already been evacuated and many of its residents are now in Hinton and Jasper, with the Town of Jasper had warned Saturday that there was a possibility the community might lose power.

The province said in a wildfire update today that the forecast is favourable for the next few days, with trace amounts of rain and overcast conditions in some of the affected areas.

But the update cautioned not all areas will receive rain, and the long-term forecast is predicting a return to hot and dry conditions within a few days.

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A provincewide state of emergency was declared Saturday as more than 110 wildfires burned across Alberta, forcing close to more than 24,000 people from their homes.

“While there are some areas that could have experienced some precipitation other areas may not. The wildfires in the area are extremely hot and will burn deep into the ground. These fires can reignite again if conditions are right,” a provincial update on Sunday said about the Deep Creek Complex fires, which have threatened communities in Parkland and Yellowhead counties west of Edmonton.

“Forecasted weather may help with fire suppression efforts on the fire line, but crews will need to be prepared for a change of higher temperatures into early next week and the increase in fire behaviour that it will bring.”

Officials from the Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Wildfire are scheduled to provide an update on the wildfire situation later Sunday afternoon.

Earlier Sunday, Premier Danielle Smith met with Opposition Leader Rachel Notley, which Smith said was intended to keep the NDP leader informed about the wildfire situation and the state of emergency.

Alberta is in the middle of an election campaign with a vote on May 29, and some candidates in areas affected by the fires have announced they are suspending campaign activities.

“At times like these, Albertans expect all their elected leaders to work together to help our people,” Smith tweeted after the meeting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023.

The Canadian Press