Fire crews continue to battle wildfire in northeast

Emergency crews are trying to prevent fires from spreading in a rural area of northern Strathcona County as more and more fire bans are enacted around the province.

As of Monday afternoon, 15 firefighters and an arsenal of brush trucks, dozers, water tankers and a helicopter were controlling a blaze first detected around noon Saturday in the area of Township Road 564 and Range Road 211.

An aerial tanker was called in to protect property near Range Road 213 and Township Road 562. No buildings have been lost, but more than 300 hectares of land has been damaged. Strathcona County Emergency Services is leading the response with assistance from Fort Saskatchewan and Lamont County.

Although the fire was being contained Monday, Strathcona deputy fire chief Bob Scott said it was not yet under control, noting the wind was creating difficulties for crews.

“Fire activity is quite intense right now and spreading rapidly with the wind,” he said. “(It) continues to shift on us in different directions, so it’s presenting a challenge for firefighters in terms of keeping control and trying to guess where the fire is going to move.”

Scott said he remains optimistic crews will be able to keep the flames in check.

“I think we’ll be able to stay on this fire until Friday at least — or until the weather changes and we can re-evaluate the situation,” he added. “We’ll be doing rotating crews, our equipment is working well, and we have a lot of support from other Strathcona County departments.”

Weather Tuesday and Wednesday could work against firefighters with temperatures hovering in the mid-20s, but rain and cooler temperatures arriving Thursday could help control new flare-ups.