Crews busy as wildfires hit southwest Alberta
Emergency crews continue to fight multiple wildfires in southwest Alberta, including one over 100 hectares in size near Rocky Mountain House.
Wildfire information officer Derrick Forsythe says the battle is getting bigger as the weather stays hot and dry.
"As of this morning, we've got four helicopters on the way, 24 firefighters and the air tankers are making an assessment as to whether they can drop water on it with all the smoke that's up there," Forsythe said.
The fire is just one burning out of control in the area. A nearby wildfire to the west is smaller, but still poses a danger, Forsythe told CTV News.
The fire near Lac Des Arc that erupted over supper hour Friday is now listed as being held.
"We were on it as quickly as we could get to it and crews have worked hard last night and early this morning," Forsythe said. "The helicopters that are on the way there are likely going to be bucketing to just cool the edges of the fire...until we get the crews up there and they can start working around it."
That fire, which at one point was sending smoke into the eastbound lanes of Hwy. 1, covered roughly 10 hectares.
No structures have been damaged in any of the three wildfires. Crews are continuing to investigate their cause.
There are currently 58 wildfires burning throughout Alberta and multiple fire bans.
Due to the wildfires, the City of Calgary was under an air quality advisory Sunday. The advisory was sitting on the low risk end of the scale, but could move up to a moderate risk level, depending on winds and the fires.
For information about which areas are impacted, visit Alberta Wildfire's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.