Photo courtesy Facebook/Deb Stecyk

By Dori Modney with files from Jeff Henson

High Level wildfire

High Level and Mackenzie County under Mandatory Evacuation

May 20, 2019 | 3:49 PM

GRANDE PRAIRIE — A state of local emergency and evacuation Alert that had been issued for the town of High Level, was upgraded to a full-blown evacuation at 4:00 Monday afternoon, as a result of a fast-growing wildfire.

Earlier in the day Mackenzie County had also issued a mandatory Evacuation Order for residents South and Southeast of High Level and South of the Bushe River Reserve.

Crews were going door to door to notify affected residents. Manned barricades are set up on all roads to prevent unauthorized entry into the evacuated areas. Evacuees must register at the Town of High Level Arena .

The Chuckegg Creek wildfire almost tripled in size overnight and is now 690 square kilometres in size.

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Recommended evacuation routes are Highway 58 East and Highway 88 South. The public was notified to expect to be away from home for at least 72 hours. Evacuees are to report to receptions centres at either the Slave Lake Legacy Centre or High Prairie Sports Palace.

Sprinkler protection operations were begun in both High Level and at the Tolko mill.

Meanwhile, the Notikewan fire is now about 10 km northwest of Manning. It crossed the Chin road yesterday, leading to the closure of that road and evacuations of camps and facilities along that road.

The wildfire hazard is currently Extreme in the Peace River, High Level and Slave Lake Forest Management Areas, with fire bans and off-highway vehicle restrictions in place in all three regions.

RCMP in Edson have re-opened Highway 16 west of that community after closing it for several hours last night due to smoke from wildfires in that area. Some rural properties on both sides of the highway near Marlboro have been evacuated.