On Wednesday evening around 6:30 p.m., the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued an evacuation alert for the community of Janvier due to growing wildfires in the area.
There are currently two out-of-control wildfires. The wildfire that is closest to Janvier is around 15 kilometers northwest. The wildfire was spotted on July 14 and has been growing in size since. Investigators say the wildfire was caused by lightning.
As of Thursday, the wildfire is more than 2.1 kilometers in size. Due to the growing wildfire, Alberta Transportation has closed sections of Highway 881 from kilometer 213 to kilometer 241, there is no detour in place and Highway 63 will remain open.
When the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued the evacuation alert in a statement they said the closure of Highway 881 is to ensure the safety of all.
The closure is to ensure the safety of motorists and to allow emergency personnel to respond to the wildfires. The safety of travelers is top priority and every effort will be made to reopen Highway 881 as quickly as possible when conditions permit.
The RMWB advised people in the area to make an emergency plan and prepare an emergency kit as well as follow trusted channels for wildfire and evacuation updates in the following days.
Firefighters are currently working with heavy equipment to contain the wildfire. The RMWB will be posting updates about the wildfire on its social media pages.
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