There are 83 active wildfires in the forest protection area of Alberta and 21 are classified as out of control, according to the latest figures..On Friday, there were 74 wildfires..Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was in Grande Prairie on Friday to see the situation..“I just returned from the frontlines of the northern wildfires,” Smith said..“Alberta has been challenged by such a devastating start to the wildfire season. I'm incredibly proud of our firefighters, emergency personnel, civil servants, and volunteers who are pushing back the fires from our homes and communities.”.Alberta remains under a provincial state of emergency and the provincial Emergency Coordination Centre remains a level four, the top level..In addition to the provincial state of emergency, there are 19 states of local emergency, as well as four bound council resolutions and 10 evacuation orders in place. The estimated number of evacuees is approximately 16,520 and evacuees are registered at 10 reception centres..On Saturday, at 3 p.m., Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis provided an update on some of the work the province and local communities are doing..“Fire guards can potentially reinforce and support the existing guards that have been established to address the current wildfires,” Ellis said..“Additionally, the province, along with the local authorities with the school district, are working along Highway 43. These efforts will support the recently built guards close to the wildfires that are designed to provide self-additional defences to the town of Fox Creek community.”.Ellis said the guards are created by removing trees and other vegetation, potentially getting rid of the fuel for the fire..“They can also be used as backstop burnouts,” Ellis said..Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Nate Horner also joined Ellis for the Saturday update..“In difficult times like these that we see the Alberta spirit truly come to light, we see how people continue to pull together,” Horner said..“The situation continues to change rapidly. The emergency officials continue to do everything possible. I've heard from many farmers who have been evacuated from ranchers and farmers. We understand this is a particularly challenging time. I assure you we're doing what we can to assist you and we'll continue to do so.”.Horner said that as the wildfire situation continues to evolve, conditions are different in each area and change quickly..“Some rural municipalities are allowing temporary reentry for farmers to check on livestock, feed and water,” Horner said..“These are entries and decisions are determined by age and are based on their assessment of the fire risk. Farmers and ranchers should check with their local municipality before attempting to re-enter any evacuated areas. I want to assure you that we're here for you now, and we will continue to be here for you over the long run. We're assessing the situation. We're in contact with our federal agriculture counterparts and we will continue to discuss comprehensive recovery.”.The UCP government said another 200 firefighters from the United States are on their way. Military assistance has also been deployed in the Grand Prairie area..More than 200 soldiers are already hard at work and about 100 more are expected to start working in the coming days..The military assists with basic firefighting duties, such as mop-up operations..Mop-up means expensing remaining hotspots in areas of low fire intensity..The UCP said the military is also helping with transportation, heavy equipment operations, and evacuation.
