Friday, June 6, 2025, 12:44 p.m. – The County of Grande Prairie has issued an evacuation order and has expanded the evacuation alert area due to a wildfire.
The current evacuation alert remains in effect and has expanded to include everyone south of Township Road 710 to 700 east of the British Columbia border to Range Road 130.
If an evacuation order is issued, residents will have 30 minutes to evacuate.
The evacuation order remains in effect for everyone located north of Township Road 710 to Township Road 740, east of the BC/Alberta border to Range Road 130.
Alberta Wildfire, and the BC Wildfire Service continue to respond to the Kiskatinaw River wildfire, located in the area of Kelly Lake, B.C. The fire is estimated to be 11,903 hectares in size. Last night, windy conditions drove this wildfire closer to the Alberta border. Spot fires, which are small fires that start from embers, are now on the Alberta side of the border.
Aggressive fire behaviour is expected again today, with strong south-westerly winds shifting north-west with the passage of a cold front late this afternoon. These dangerous wind conditions are expected to persist through the weekend. Firefighters will face challenging conditions today and throughout the weekend.
County Regional Fire Service has completed structural protection for properties at risk within the County of Grande Prairie. With the expected increase in fire behaviour, the County has increased staffing, staged aerial and heavy equipment, and is supporting the BC Wildfire Service and Alberta Wildfire as the lead agencies responding to the wildfire.
Highway 43 is currently open but subject to change if conditions worsen. Please visit 511 Alberta for the most up to date road report.
The County of Grande Prairie, Alberta Wildfire, BC Wildfire Service, and the Peace River Regional District continue to work closely in this coordinated effort to manage and contain this large wildfire threatening the region.
Evacuees can report to the GPREP Reception Centre at the Hythe Community Library at 10013, 100 Street until 9:00 p.m. Reception staff will assign accommodations for either hotel lodging or camping at Hythe Municipal Campground.
County residents who have not registered their livestock with the County’s Livestock Emergency Response Plan (LERP) should call 780-532-9727 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday. The GPREP Call Centre at 780-830-5002 is available until 9 p.m.
The Northwestern Alberta Foundation has activated its online donations page to accept monetary contributions in support of communities impacted by the wildfire within its service area. You can donate here: https://cfna.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1465
Alberta Evacuee Resources:
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GPREP Call Centre: 780-830-5002 until 9:00 p.m.
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GPREP Evacuee Support Guide: https://www.gprep.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GPREP-Evacuee-Support-Guide-2025-1.pdf
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Crisis Resources: https://www.gprep.ca/resources-2/
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GPREP Reception Centre Services: https://www.gprep.ca/resources-2/reception-centre-services/
Where to find fire updates:
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Information on BC wildfires: BC Wildfire
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Check DriveBC for updates
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Information on Grande Prairie Forest Area - Alberta Wildfire
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Ongoing updates: County’s Facebook page and website, www.countygp.ab.ca. Download the Voyent Alert! app or register for email, SMS, or phone alerts at https://register.voyent-alert.com.
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Visit the Alberta Emergency Alert website or download the app.
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Smoke location and movement: www.firesmoke.ca
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Health concerns related to smoke exposure: Alberta Health Link
Information provided by the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP).
Screenshot from Firesmoke.ca