Wildfires continue to wreak havoc across B.C. and Alberta

The community’s roughly 2,400 residents were ordered to evacuate Thursday as the fire approached to about five kilometres from Tumbler Ridge.

Tower says despite the improving conditions, it is still too early to lift the evacuation order.

On Vancouver Island, the first guided convoy of essential services vehicles left Lake Cowichan today on an unpaved logging road, heading toward several communities cut off by forest fires.

Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino have been stranded since a wildfire cut off access to Highway 4, the area’s major transportation link.

Pilot vehicles will guide convoys of commercial vehicles carrying people and supplies to those communities until further notice.

Officials in Edson, Alberta say firefighters are going door-to-door to help fireproof homes in the community, which is threatened by an approaching forest fire.

The town says in a news release that fire crews are moving flammable items including propane tanks and wood piles away from houses and other structures.

Peace officers and members of the RCMP are also doing regular patrols.

Evacuation orders remain in place for Edson and parts of Yellowhead County, which is about 200 kilometres west of Edmonton.

Officials said in a video update Saturday that the massive fire was just 1.5 kilometres south of Edson’s boundary.

Alberta’s largest regulated electricity transmission company is warning residents in areas near the town of Edson to be prepared for extended power outages.

AltaLink issued a series of tweets saying several transmission towers south of Edson have been consumed and toppled by the spreading wildfire.

The company says so far, transmission infrastructure supplying power to towns west of Edson has not been affected.

The Saturday evening tweets from AltaLink say the situation remains fluid.

by Fraser Valley Today Staff / Canadian Press

Wildfires continue to wreak havoc across B.C. and Alberta

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