A wildfire alert prompted the evacuation of twelve rural residences in Cypress County, west of Irvine, Alberta, on Sunday afternoon, according to officials speaking to CBC News. The alert, issued at 12:59 p.m., warned of a wildfire threatening homes south of Highway 1 along Range Road 40, with westward winds.
Residents in the vicinity were advised to evacuate via Range Road 40, heading south to Township Road 114 if it was safe to do so, and to seek refuge in open, treeless areas without flammable structures if possible. Range Road 40 in both directions was shut down at eastbound Highway 1 as of Sunday afternoon, as reported by 511 Alberta.
Sean Rooney, the communications coordinator for Cypress County, stated to CBC News that managing the fire would likely require several days.
Emergency services were mobilizing to combat the wildfire. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith mentioned in a statement that Alberta Wildfire was dispatching a team to assist in firefighting efforts on the ground and from the air. HALO air ambulance confirmed its response to a mutual aid request from Cypress County Fire Service, providing emergency helicopter services for the fire response.
Redcliff RCMP was also involved in responding to the wildfire. The affected area is located southeast of Medicine Hat, approximately three hours away from Calgary. Further updates will be shared as they become available.