Canada: Emergency crews responding to wildfires in northern Alberta as of July 17 /update 1

Evacuations are ongoing due to wildfires burning in northern Alberta as of July 17. Dozens of wildfires have broken out across Alberta over the past 24 hours amid hot and dry weather in the region. Around 128 active wildfires are burning across Alberta. The Semo Wildfire Complex, an amalgamation of several fires burning around 30 km (19 miles) northwest of Garden River, has been burning since early July and has grown to around 50,000 hectares (123,552 acres) in size as of July 17. Around 200 firefighting personnel are on-site tackling the blaze. Authorities have classified the fire as out of control; further growth is likely in the coming days amid hot, dry, and breezy conditions.

Authorities issued evacuation orders for the community of Garden River July 10. The community's 700 residents are not in immediate danger from the fire, but there are fears the blaze could cross Highway 58 in the coming days and leave Garden River cut off; the fire is around 9 km (6 miles) from the highway as of July 17. Officials have advised residents to evacuate to the Horizon Camp in the First Nations settlement of John D'Or Prairie. Little Red River Cree Nation declared a state of local emergency July 10.

Another notable wildfire is the Cattail Lake Wildfire Complex, burning around 70 km (43 miles) northeast of Fort McMurray. The largest fire in the complex is around 82,709 hectares (204,378 acres) and is deemed out of control. Around 225 firefighting personnel are on-site tackling the blaze, and further growth is likely in the coming days amid hot, dry, and breezy conditions. The fire is currently not threatening any communities; however, the flames are burning around 7 km (4 miles) northeast of industrial facilities, and oil production companies in the area have demobilized some staff as a precaution.

The wildfires may cause additional localized transport disruptions in the region. The status of nearby roads will likely change over the coming hours and days; authorities could close routes within the wildfire complexes and evacuated communities due to fire activity and the requirements of response operations. The return of residents could disrupt traffic flows after authorities lift evacuation orders. Low visibility from smoke and possible ashfall could contribute to traffic delays and congestion in the region.