Residents on evacuation standby as wildfire blazes northeast of Edmonton – Edmonton [Video]

A wildfire that erupted near the Redwater Provincial Recreation Area in Sturgeon County, Alta., was burning out of control Sunday and local authorities urged residents to prepare for possible evacuations.

The fire grew from 110 hectares to an estimated 388 hectares (or 959 acres) overnight, Sturgeon County officials said Sunday, declaring a state of emergency to manage the “quickly evolving situation.”

Three aerial firefighting helicopters, backed by ground and air crews, were on the scene conducting fire suppression efforts in the area located northeast of Edmonton, county authorities said.

The Alberta wildfire resource branch had also been dispatched to support the local wildland firefighting efforts, Sturgeon County added, saying it had activated its emergency partnership with five neighbouring counties to coordinate emergency response efforts.

All roads into the recreation area have been closed temporarily – open only to local traffic. So far, the fire has not crossed the North Saskatchewan River.

Albertans …