News

Updated: Highway 63 and 881 closed due to wildfires

Updated: Highway 63 and 881 closed due to wildfires

Jul 22, 2024 | 7:58pm
Update as of 5:17am Alberta 511 are reporting highway 63 has been partially reopened to Traffic in both directions. Expect delays in the area due to heavy smoke. FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta —Travelers are advised to check the status of local highways before heading out. Wildfires burning near Highway 63 and Highway 881 are rapidly changing […]
Extreme fire behavior to challenge crews
Alberta Wildfire

Extreme fire behavior to challenge crews

Jul 22, 2024 | 7:41pm
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta— Firefighters are not expected to get a break as the province warns of ongoing intense fire activity. Alberta Wildfire has issued an extreme fire behavior advisory as the extended heat has rendered the forest tinder dry. Adding to concerns, specialized fire-weather forecasters say a cold front is expected to sweep through the […]
Evacuation Alert issued for Janvier and Chipewyan Prairie First Nation

Evacuation Alert issued for Janvier and Chipewyan Prairie First Nation

Jul 17, 2024 | 9:00pm
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) is placing the community of Janvier on an evacuation alert. The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation is also issuing an evacuation alert. There are two growing out-of-control wildfires near the communities which are prompting the alerts. In the last report, the largest fire is 214 hectares and approximately 15 […]
Stepping Stones seeking donations to help beat the heat

Stepping Stones seeking donations to help beat the heat

Jul 17, 2024 | 7:47pm
The ongoing heatwave is putting stress on community organizations. Woods Homes, the agency that runs Stepping Stones Youth Services, says they are in desperate need of supplies for their clients. Bjorne Johansson, CEO of Woods Homes says people living without shelter are 200 times more likely to die during extreme heat than those with shelter. […]
FireSmart Interpretive Trail opens in Thickwood
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

FireSmart Interpretive Trail opens in Thickwood

Jul 16, 2024 | 7:55pm
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) has officially opened the FireSmart Interpretive Trail. The pathway showcases FireSmart practices in construction and landscaping, including interpretive signs, demonstration panels, and displays. It also provides information on the ecology of the boreal forest and includes an observation deck with views of the Birchwood Trails. The trail also […]
Auto Draft

Auto Draft

Jul 16, 2024 | 3:43pm
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta — A Fort McMurray man is recovering after being shot downtown on Sunday. Police responded to a shooting in the downtown area shortly before 4 p.m. on July 14. At the scene, RCMP located a male victim with non-life-threatening injuries. The man was taken to Northern Lights Health Centre by ambulance. After […]
Vehicle crashes into liquor store on Real Martin Drive

Vehicle crashes into liquor store on Real Martin Drive

Jul 14, 2024 | 7:54pm
Police and Fire personnel are responding to an incident on Real Martin Drive in Wood Buffalo. At approximately 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, 2024, RCMP and Regional Emergency Services were on the scene of an incident at Ace Liquor at 100 Real Martin Drive. A witness tells Harvard Media News they heard multiple sirens […]
Wildfires Continue to Grow

Wildfires Continue to Grow

Jul 12, 2024 | 7:25pm
Updated July 12 2024 – 7:30pm The large cluster of fires near the Firebag River, known collectively as the Cattail Complex and managed under MCX002, remains a critical concern. Triggered by lightning strikes, the fires have collectively spread to an estimated 67,000 hectares, with the largest fire, MWF047, classified as out of control. Despite recent […]
Smoke Plume Visible South of Fort McMurray

Smoke Plume Visible South of Fort McMurray

Jul 11, 2024 | 5:16pm
Alberta Wildfire Confirms Algar Fire Complex Origin Update: 9:20 p.m. July 11, 2024 Fire MWF-069, the largest fire within the Algar Wildfire Complex, has grown to 9,000 hectares in size; approximately half the size of fire MWF-017 which forced the evacuation of parts of Fort McMurray in May. Alberta 511 reports smoke is still affecting […]
Ukrainian community rallies after Russia attacks children’s hospital

Ukrainian community rallies after Russia attacks children’s hospital

Jul 9, 2024 | 7:33pm
Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo’s Ukrainian community is calling on the world to take action after a deadly bombing this week in Kyiv. On Monday, missiles rained down on a children’s hospital in the capital city of Ukraine, killing nearly 50 civilians and wounding hundreds. Devon Sereda Goldie, spokesperson for the group, says the community needed […]