A wildfire west of Edmonton forced the evacuation of a hamlet in Yellowhead County on Thursday night.
The fire is on the west side of Highway 32, one kilometre south of Peers — a rural community of about 100 people located about 150 kilometres west of Edmonton, just north of Highway 16.
The fire was first detected around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, and as of publishing, was 15 hectares in size and had crossed Highway 32.
The fire broke out as Alberta Wildfire has a red flag watch in effect: a rarely-heard-of term indicating an increased fire danger risk due to warm temperatures, very low humidity and strong winds.
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Both people who live in Peers and on rural properties to the east are being told to head to an evacuation centre …