State of Emergency continues as wildfires ravage Alberta

2,700 personnel working on wildfires. This includes support from partner agencies across Canada and the United States as well as the Canadian Armed Forces. An additional 24 firefighters from the northwestern United States have arrived in the province.

advisories.

Fire restrictions and bans are in place across much of the province. A special air quality statement has been issued as many parts of the province experience high levels of smoke and ash residue.

Many provincial parks are closed and Albertans are strongly encouraged to postpone plans to visit public lands.

Donations

Hot, dry conditions continue in most areas of the province resulting in numerous wildfires.

A provincial state of emergency has been declared.Current situation

Alberta has declared a provincial state of emergency. Visit alberta.ca/ emergency for information or call 310-4455, now available 24-7.

A fire ban and an off-highway vehicle restriction is in place across the Forest Protection Area.

The fire danger remains very high to extreme in northern Alberta and high to very high along the eastern slopes of the Rockies. Winds are expected to shift over the weekend.

Widespread, steady rain is expected through Tuesday, with west-central regions expected to see the highest precipitation amounts.

Current wildfire information is available on the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.

Some communities remain affected by poor air quality. Keep up to date on special air quality statements and advisories.

• Evacuation orders: 16

• Alberta Emergency Alerts: 18 (10 orders, 8 alerts)

• Number of evacuees: 10,872

• Alberta currently has more than

Albertans who require assistance can call 310-4455 for wildfire related information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Translation services are available to provide information services in languages other than English.

Key information

Albertans 18+ who have been forced out of their homes due to an evacuation order for 7 days or more can apply for an emergency evacuation payment.

Evacuees can attend nightly telephone town halls with government and partner organizations to get answers to their questions.

Check wildfire status for updates on active wildfires and wildfires of note.

Residents in affected areas are asked to continue to follow local media, local municipalities, and Alberta Emergency Alerts for updates and

Albertans who wish to help can make cash donations through the Canadian Red Cross or within their regions to a recognized charitable organization of their choice.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta will each match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal. This means that every $1 donated will become $3 to support those affected by the wildfires. The Canadian Red Cross is launching an Immediate Support to Notfor-Profit Organizations program to deliver urgent and ongoing support for people affected by wildfires across Alberta. Eligible community organizations providing immediate relief assistance may apply for $5,000 in one-time funding.

Before a wildfire Individuals and families should be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours.