July 11, 2024
EDMONTON – NEWS – Little Red River Cree Nation has declared a state of local emergency and successfully evacuated 981 residents from Garden River as of 6 p.m. last night.
Alberta Emergency Alerts
- As of July 11, at 1 p.m., there is one Alberta Emergency Alert in effect:
- An evacuation order remains in place for Little Red River Cree Nation – Garden River.
- Currently, there is no immediate threat of the wildfire reaching the community.
- Little Red River Cree Nation has also declared a State of Local Emergency.
- There is a wildfire approximately 8.5 km north of Highway 58.
- Evacuees have gone to John D’or Prairie Horizon Camp, John D’or Prairie School, John D’or Prairie Willow Camp, and hotels in High Level and Peace River.
- The response continues to be led by the First Nation with Alberta Emergency Management Agency First Nations field officers providing support.
- No other evacuation orders or alerts are currently in place.
- For up-to-the-minute Alberta Emergency Alert information, visit: Alberta Emergency Alert.
- Albertans are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
Current situation
- An evacuation order remains in effect for the Garden River community.
- Little Red River Cree Nation has upgraded their wildfire alert.
- HWF061 is classified as out of control at over 41,000 hectares in size, and it is still approximately 8 km from highway 58 and 30 km northwest of Garden River.
- The wildfire saw growth towards Highway 58 yesterday, which triggered the community of Garden River to initiate the evacuation.
- Firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment are actively responding to this wildfire.
- Since January 1, there have been 692 wildfires recorded in the Forest Protection Area that have burned over 184,000 hectares.
- There are currently 92 active wildfires (Includes four carryover wildfires from last season) in the Forest Protection Area. 31 are classified as out of control, 25 are being held, 32 are under control and 612 have been extinguished.
- As of July 11, 2024, there are three wildfires of note in the Forest Protection Area. Information on these wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.
Fire bans
- A fire ban is in place for the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta.
- Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands such as national parks, are exempt from this ban.
- These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.
- Albertans should visit the website or social media for their local municipality to confirm if a fire ban is in effect in their area.
- For information on activities prohibited under this ban, visit alberta.ca/fire-bans.
Support for evacuees
- People who have been evacuated from their homes for seven or more days can begin applying for a one-time emergency evacuation payment. Eligible evacuees will receive $1,250 per adult and an additional $500 per dependent child under 18.
Roads and highways
- Garden River is not in any immediate danger; however, the Highway 58 access to Garden River is the concern.
- There are currently no highway closures.
- Visit 511.alberta.ca for up-to-date information on road closures and travel advisories.
Health care
- There are currently no hospital closures.
Education
- There are currently no school closures.
Emergency Preparedness
- Get ready for emergencies and disasters by taking simple steps now. To be prepared, Albertans need to know what to do, where to go and have enough supplies for a week or more. Supplies include food, water, medications and important documents. Include supplies for pets as well.
- Read more about emergency preparedness.
Related information
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