A fire advisory remains in effect for the Edson Forest Area as a wildfire continues to grow..Alberta Wildfire, Yellowhead County and Parkland County are responding to multiple wildfires in the area..A series of emergency alerts have been issued in Alberta and the fire is moving west-northwest in the province..A wildfire was first detected on the evening of April 29 and is located on both sides of Highway 22, 3 km north of Highway 16. There is another wildfire on the east side of Hwy 22, and was located on the west side of Hwy 22, they are now combined..The wildfire is burning out of control and currently moving towards the west-northwest. The wildfire was re-assessed and is now estimated to be 2,221 ha in size. Strong winds and very dry fuel are the main factors that this wildfire is spreading so quickly. The fire is burning in a mixture of grass, shrub, trees and marsh..Both Yellowhead County and AB Wildfire are working together to contain the spread of the wildfire.."Today, we had a total of 13 pieces of heavy equipment and three helicopters assisting 21 firefighters. Air tankers arrived earlier today and assisted with suppression activities," the Alberta government stated,."Tonight, dozers will continue to build containment lines to prevent the wildfire from spreading further. A night vision capable helicopter will also be working in the throughout the night in the area. This heli tanker is capable of assessing the fire and dropping water onto hotspots.".On Tuesday, both AB Wildfire and Yellowhead County will have a total of 63 firefighters working on the wildfire. Six helicopters will be associated to this wildfire, with an additional two heavy helicopters that will be ready if needed for bucketing operations. Air tankers will be available upon request..The fire behaviour on Monday increased significantly near noon however the majority of the burning occurred within the perimeter and did not grow much further to the north..The fire is expected to see moderate northeast winds until Tuesday. The winds are expected to shift Tuesday sometime in the afternoon and come from the north, possibly pushing the wildfire towards the south.."Our forest area is expecting dry lighting tomorrow, we encourage anyone who suspects they see a wildfire that is not located on our app to report it to 310-FIRE," the Alberta government said..Barrhead and Westlock RCMP advise that residents which were evacuated due to the fires in their area are now able to return to their homes..However, Township Road at Range Road 14/15 is not passable at this time as this is the staging area for Fire/RCMP. Albertans can expect this closure for at least one day.
