Residents of Garden River flee their homes due to threatening wildfire

Hundreds of people in northern Alberta have been ordered to flee their homes because of a wildfire.

Little Red River Cree Nation issued an evacuation order yesterday for the 700 residents of Garden River, a community in Wood Buffalo National Park.

A provincial alert says the community is not in any immediate danger, but there were concerns the fire could cut off access to the only road in.

Officials estimate the wildfire to be about 400 square kilometres in size and say it was caused by lightning.

The evacuation order comes the same day that the Alberta Government issued a province wide Fire Ban. 

Information provided by the Canadian Press