(Town of Edson and Yellowhead County Municipal Update)

All evacuation orders issued by Yellowhead County and the Town of Edson are still in place. They will remain in place until authorities are confident that residents in these areas will be safe when they return home.

There will be an update for evacuees at the Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre at 805 Switzer Drive in Hinton at 2 p.m. today. An update will be given at the Jasper Fitness and Aquatic Centre at 305 Bonhomme Street in Jasper at 4 p.m. today. All important updates will be shared online for those who are not able to attend.

Wildfires in the Wildwood, Evansburg, and Shiningbank areas, as well as the fire southeast of Edson (EWF031), are all still out of control.

There have been some structures lost in the Wildwood, Evansburg, and Shiningbank areas in Yellowhead County. Yellowhead County fire crews are protecting as many structures as possible with up-close fire perimeter control in these areas. We do not have property-specific information at this time. Updates will be provided as soon as we are able.

As of May 6 at 12:00 PM, the Town of Edson has not sustained any damage. Edson Fire and Mutual Aid crews continue to work on structural protection.

The RCMP continue to provide property security and patrols in both Edson and Yellowhead County.

Yellowhead County is extending their State of Local Emergency and Edson is enacting a State of Local Emergency.

Our residents continue to show resiliency throughout this situation. We thank you for your cooperation which allow our emergency services including our firefighters, Alberta Wildfire firefighters, and other agencies to safely battle these wildfires.

We thank all emergency services personnel who are working together to deal with this incident, and for the bravery and dedication they have shown over the many long hours they have spent fighting these fires.

Provincial Agricultural and Forestry Services have airtankers, helicopters, and assets that are working all the fires.

There have been several offers from community members and groups offering support of food, lodging, and several other critical resources. This show of support and community spirit is encouraging and truly shows the integrity of our residents and neighbours. We thank the Town of Hinton and Town of Jasper for assisting with the evacuation of our residents.

There will continue to be updates on the Yellowhead County and Edson websites and Facebook pages.