Alberta firefighters temporarily trapped battling wildfires find shelter, safety [Video]

A group of firefighters in northern Alberta faced a scary situation when communication with them was temporarily lost on Thursday while they worked to protect the community of Chipewyan Lake from the encroaching flames from two wildfires.

In a social media post, the province’s Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, said radio contact was temporarily lost with eight members of a wildland-urban interface crew in the community at around 8:20 p.m.

However, Loewen said the firefighters were determined to be safe and found shelter in the community fire station and school, which has been designated as the community’s emergency shelter.

A mandatory evacuation order for the Chipewyan Lake, located about 130 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, was issued Wednesday night.

Loewen said sprinkler protection systems have been set up in key areas of the community, adding there are preliminary indications that some structures in the community have been damaged, however, the extent of …