Wildfire forces evacuation along Alberta-Saskatchewan border
Digital Reporter
Tuesday, October 17, 2017, 9:46 PM - A fast-moving wildfire along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border prompted evacuations for several communities Tuesday as high winds fueled the blaze into the evening.
A wildfire was first detected burning south of the town of Burstall. All residents in Burstall and residents in the south part of the RM of Deerforks were ordered to evacuate Tuesday afternoon, with an evacuation order for the town of Leader following in the evening.
Keep on top of active weather by visiting the ALERTS page.
Officials say smoke has severely reduced visibility, creating hazardous road conditions on both sides of the border. As a result, Highway 41 was closed in both directions.
Environment Canada issued wind warnings for the area, with gusts in excess of 100 km/h likely to last into early Wednesday morning. Several wildfire advisories and evacuation orders were issued throughout the evening.
Residents in and around vulnerable areas were warned to prepare to evacuate with short notice.
