Out-of-control wildfire sparks Sturgeon County to declare local state of emergency [Video]

An out-of-control wildfire in Sturgeon County, Alta., has burned down one house, scattered animals and forced residents to standby ready to evacuate.

The county issued an evacuation notice Saturday evening, warning residents to prepare to flee in case conditions worsen. Shortly after midnight, the county declared a local state of emergency.

“We’re just keeping people safe and trying to protect property,” Mayor Alanna Hnatiw told CBC Radio’s Daybreak Alberta on Sunday.

The evacuation notice affects people living around the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area, about 60 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Late Saturday night, RCMP issued news releases saying officers from multiple departments were responding. Emergency personnel were helping people evacuate, but police didn’t specify how many.

At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, the county issued another update, stating the evacuation area includes:

• Range Road …