Around 100 firefighters, along with helicopters and air tankers, are battling an out-of-control blaze in northern Alberta.
The fire, about eight kilometres north of Lodgepole, started Tuesday. It has since grown to be about 700 hectares in size.
“At this time of year, any wildfire has potential to get very big, very fast as the dry conditions along with wind and warm temperatures can cause extreme fire behaviour,” wildfire information officer Richard Horne.
“Until we get some significant rain and the landscape greens up, the fire hazard will continue to increase. “
Horne said the fire is currently burning away from Lodgepole and the nearby hamlet of Cynthia, making evacuations “unlikely.” However, he said that could change if conditions shifted.
The area was evacuated following a serious wildfire near Lodgepole in 2013.
The cause of the wildfire is still under investigation, but Horne said it likely did not start naturally.
Source:: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/lodgepole-wildfire-burning-out-of-control-1.3074188?cmp=rss
