Canada-Evacuation
Northern fire evacuation up to 1,200
(Source: www.canada.com)
Monday, May 27, 2002.
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta — More than 1,200 people are being evacuated from a region of northern Alberta officials describe as having “explosive” forest fire conditions.
About 250 people from the community of Conklin have been sent to a temporary evacuation shelter in Fort McMurray to escape the threat posed by the huge House River blaze.
The fire — just 16 kilometres west of the hamlet — covers about 970 square kilometres.
At least 1,000 or more people from 10 work camps in the region have also been ordered to leave.
The camps were given an evacuation alert Sunday night and asked to have their employees on standby.
Mariana Lake, another tiny hamlet northwest of Conklin, is also on evacuation alert.
Officials are now bulldozing a fire-guard around Conklin.
Sprinklers, foam and gel from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and the Fort McMurray Fire Department are also be used to help protect buildings there.
Highway 881 through Conklin has been closed.
