This is closed to home for us... If these winds don't stop..... I have friends in the area. Here is hoping we can get it out of control. This may the norm for us in alberta, if we don't get enough rain. this year
Homes evacuated as strong winds push brush fire north
Several helicopters and water bombers are working to put out flare ups and keep the fire from spreading north.
A firefighter attempts to keep brush fires from growing in Opal, Alta.
Updated: Sun May. 16 2010 14:34:58
Sonia Sunger, ctvedmonton.ca
Strong winds are posing big problems north of Edmonton, eight homes northwest of Opal have been evacuated as firefighters work to control a fierce brush fire that has already scorched 25 square kilometres.
The blaze has not yet crossed the fire line north of Opal, but officials say it is inching closer.
Several helicopters are tackling flare ups within the brush fire and about half a dozen water bombers are picking up water from a nearby lake to keep the blaze from spreading beyond the fire line.
About eight homes northwest of Opal have been evacuated. A CTV News crew was also forced to leave the area as the winds began to pick up; making it unsafe for anyone but emergency crews to be in the area.
The brush fire has burned for four days just north of Edmonton, destroying about 25 square kilometres of pasture and farmland.
The fire has been threatening homes and businesses; sending a thick pall of smoke over the Alberta capital that led health officers to issue an air quality warning.
The area lay under a blanket of greyish-brown smoke Saturday that could be smelled in Edmonton and as far away as 60 kilometres to the south.
Dr. Marcia Johnson, acting medical officer of health for Edmonton, warned residents with asthma, allergies, chronic heart and lung conditions or diseases to take precautions against the lingering smoke.
"When smoke levels are high, even healthy people may experience symptoms. Smoke can cause coughing, a scratchy throat, stinging eyes, a runny nose, headaches, shortness of breath and chest pain," the warning said.
The health advisory will stay in place until the fires burn out.
Ward said warm weather and high winds have whipped the grass and scrub-fuelled fire than expected and spread it more quickly than expected.
"It's the wind shifts that're making it tough," he said. "It makes our job a lot harder, trying to figure out where it's going to flare up."
One home and several farm outbuildings have been destroyed and half a dozen homes have been evacuated. Other residents remained on evacuation alert.
But Ward said firefighting crews are optimistic they can keep the blaze from consuming any other buildings in the area. "We're doing OK so far: we're doing well."
More than 150 firefighters, three water bombers, five helicopters, and dozens of bulldozers and water trucks were fighting the blaze.
The county declared a local state of emergency, banned fires and shut down some roads as the blaze burned
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Sun 16 May 2010, 5:43 pm
