The wildfire situation in the province continues to be highly unpredictable, and extreme fire hazards are expected to persist through the remainder of the weekend..On Sunday, Alberta continues to be under a provincial state of emergency and the Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre remains at a level four, the highest level.."Fire dangers are rated high in northern Alberta," said Cyndee Evans, executive director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.."We recently became aware of evacuees using online like Google or Apple Maps to navigate evacuated zones. Unfortunately, some of these maps are leading residents into dangerous areas. ".On May 19, at around 3 p.m., Fox Creek RCMP was notified that a male had become stranded northwest of Fox Creek after attempting to use a gravel road to go around a checkpoint..The large truck that the male was driving had become stuck in the mud, and the current active fire in the area had surrounded him..Due to the active fire in the area, it was deemed unsafe for first responders to enter the area. A forestry helicopter attended the location and was able to airlift the male out to safety..As a result of the investigation, RCMP is currently seeking to lay charges against the male..“Alberta RCMP continue to be deployed with specialized units to assist with public safety and crime reduction efforts during these fires. Incidents like these only serve to put unnecessary strain on all first responders while threatening the safety of our communities,” said District Advisory NCO Neal Fraser from the Alberta RCMP..The Mounties would like to remind the public to avoid travelling in evacuation areas whenever possible and to ensure you have plotted a safe route when travelling near areas affected by wildfires.."Further details will be provided when available," the Alberta RCMP stated..On Friday, the Alberta RCMP said it was investigating 28 looting complaints on properties where no people were because they were forced to evacuate.."I don't have any information that says specific incidents you're speaking about," Christie Tucker, information unit manager of Alberta Wildfire told the Western Standard on Sunday.."But I think what we can say is it is overwhelming to see, Albertans have come together to ensure they support the safety of others out there. There might be criminal activity happening but I will leave that to local RCMP to speak out about any specifics.".There are currently 84 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area. Of these, 23 are out of control.
