RCMP Alberta - In the late afternoon and evening hours on October 17, several communities across southern Alberta were impacted by severe, fast moving wildfires which were driven by extremely high winds. RCMP officers conducted evacuations of 10 communities in 6 counties/municipal districts. Rural residences and farms in these counties were also evacuated in many areas. These evacuations were carried out by officers in eight different RCMP detachments working in partnership with local firefighters, peace officers and citizens.
A summary of each RCMP detachment's current emergency status is provided below.
At approximately 3:30pm a grass fire ignited west of Coleman in the Crowsnest Pass. High winds and dry fuels moved the fire rapidly towards residences on the western edge of town. Mandatory evacuations were called for homes on Willow Drive, McLaren Ridge, Carbondale Trailer Court and MacGillivary Flats.
These areas remain under mandatory evacuation. The rest of the town of Coleman is under evacuation alert and the fire is still considered out of control at this time. Highway 3 remains closed and evacuees are being directed to the reception centre at the Vertical Church in Pincher Creek.
At this time, the fire emergencies have ended in all areas except the Crowsnest Pass. Additional RCMP resources are in place in Coleman to assist with ensuring public safety during the emergency.
An update will be provided on the Coleman evacuation when new information arises.
At 8:00 pm , a rapidly moving grass fire was reported in the M.D. of Willow Creek, west of Fort Macleod. Approximately 40 Residents of the Hamlet of Moon River were evacuated to Fort Macleod. One home was damaged by the fire and several other small structures were also impacted. At approximately 11:00PM, the fire was brought under control and residents were able to return to their homes.
This fire continued east into Saskatchewan and impacted farms and communities in that province as well.
At approximately 5:45 pm, Gleichen RCMP received a report of a grassfire south of Highway 901 on the Siksika First Nation. Gliechen RCMP members and Siksika Fire Department evacuated several homes on the First Nation as the fire moved quickly to the northeast.
This fire blew into the Strathmore detachment area, leading to evacuations in Wheatland County before it moved further east and forced the evacuation of the town of Gleichen. Approximately 400 residents of Siksika and Gleichen were evacuated to reception centres at the Strathmore Civic Center and the Standard Community Hall.
The fires affecting Gleichen and Siksika Nation have been brought under control and residents have been permitted to return. Three houses on the Siksika Nation were destroyed by the fire and another was severely damaged. Another house had the roof blown off by the extreme winds.
Shortly after 6:00 pm, a grass fire originating in the Gleichen detachment area moved north into Wheatland County in the Strathmore detachment area. Residents in the area of Highway 817 and Highway 24 were evacuated.
The train fire was contained and Strathmore RCMP officers were then re-deployed to assist with evacuating the town of Gleichen as the first wildfire moved towards that community.
Both fires in Wheatland County have now been extinguished and residents have returned home. Two homes in the Wheatland County were impacted by the fire.
At 4:50 pm, Oyen RCMP received a report of a fire in the MD of Acadia approximately 30km south of Oyen. The fire was driven extremely fast towards the Hamlet of Acadia Valley. A state of local emergency was declared and approximately 493 residents of Acadia Valley were evacuated. The fire then crossed over the South Saskatchewan River near Empress and forced the emergency evacuation of 135 Empress residents. Evacuees were sent to a reception centre at the Bindloss community hall.
During this event, extreme winds caused power outages in Oyen and the RCMP radio repeater station was damaged, resulting in a loss of all radio communications for officers conducting the evacuations. The members resorted to cell phones and computer messages car to car to complete the task at hand while still responding to other 911 calls. Several farms were lost in the fire and assessments are on-going.
At 4:15pm, a grass fire ignited just east of Highway 2 near the Balzac weigh scales. Incredibly strong winds forced the fired rapidly toward the Rockyview County neighborhood of Sharp Hill on the South East side of Airdrie. Airdrie RCMP and municipal enforcement conducted an emergency evacuation of Sharp Hill residents and crews from Airdrie, Rockyview and Calgary battled the fire. Approximately 60 residents were evacuated to Genesis Place where Airdrie RCMP Victim Services established a reception center. A total of 3 residences were impacted by the fire including one which was totally destroyed.
The fire was brought under control and residents were escorted back to their homes around midnight.