Fort Smith moves to evacuation alert over nearby wildfire

The Town of Fort Smith has declared an evacuation alert over a nearby wildfire, citing a Parks Canada recommendation “due to forecasted fire behaviour.”

In an emergency message sent to residents just before 5pm on Friday, the town said residents should “remain calm and ensure they are prepared for an emergency situation and a possible evacuation.”

An evacuation alert is one rung below an evacuation order. It instructs people to be ready to leave at short notice, but does not trigger an evacuation.

Fort Smith has already been on an evacuation notice for days, a less serious form of warning that invites residents to prepare things like emergency kits and plans in case an evacuation becomes necessary.

The move to an evacuation alert means residents should “continue to prepare themselves for possible evacuation, but on a shorter notice,” Fort Smith’s director of protective services, Adam McNab, told Cabin Radio.

“There’s a wind shift coming that has the potential to impact the highway out of town and will drive smoke into the community. So we are just being proactive in making sure that vehicles are fuelled, bags are packed, any last-minute planning is in place.”

Highway 5, the only road connecting Fort Smith to the wider Canadian highway network, has been in and out of service for the past few days as a wildfire that originated in Wood Buffalo National Park moves across it.

Smith said the change in wind direction is anticipated in the next day or two.

“The fire is still a long ways away. It has the potential to impact the highway for a prolonged period of time and blow the fire eastward from Salt Mountain,” said McNab, referring to a location about 40 km west of the town.

“So we’re just making sure we get an alert out in advance.”

Sarah Pruys contributed reporting.