Fire near Prince Albert (Submitted photo/Curtis Wailing)

By paNOW Staff

fire

Major fire on P.A. outskirts

May 17, 2021 | 3:58 PM

Editor’s note: paNOW has been updating this story since after 3 p.m. We have been experiencing some technical issues and have re-posted some earlier information. This story is being updated.

A serious fire is burning around 10 kilometres northeast of the city across the highway from the Prince Albert Airport.

Homes were evacuated earlier according to the Prince Albert Fire Department (PAFD).

An Ordered Evacuation was issued at 4:50 p.m. by the City of P.A. and the RM of Buckland for the following areas North of Highway 55: East of Cloverdale Rd and West of Honeymoon Rd. Residents and those who work there were ordered to evacuate immediately.

Air tanker tackles blaze northeast of P.A. (j2photography)

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The City of P.A. said an evacuation site was being set up at the Margo Fournier Center and anyone who had been displaced could gather there.

The blaze was first reported around 2:30 p.m.

Fire officials were on the scene quickly coordinating matters around Cloverdale Rd and Evergreen Rd. They closed the road. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

According to the PAFD homes on Evergreen Road and Valleyview Road areas were ordered to be evacuated earlier this afternoon and the fire was ‘growing exponentially.’

Aerial wildfire assets in action

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said they were responding to the large fire with multiple structural fire departments, which is located northeast of Prince Albert. Local authorities have issued an evacuation warning to approximately 20 homes in the area. The agency is responding with helicopters, ground crews, multiple air tanker groups and heavy equipment. Highways in the area may be impacted. More information will be provided when it becomes available.

A Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency helicopter with water bucket tackles the fire burning near residential properties near the Prince Albert airport (Shawn Nygaard)

Air tanker tackles blaze northeast of P.A.(j2photography)

Thick dark plumes of smoke were seen from the semi rural area and within an hour dominated the horizon.

The fire was impossible not to see from around the city. (Alysia Joubert)

The cause of the fire is not immediately known.

(Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

(Submitted)

Temperatures have hit over 30 Celsius this afternoon.

Another view of the fire that is dominating the skyline around P.A. (An Rea)

The fire is about 10 kms northeast of P.A. across the highway from the airport. A PAFD official said earlier this afternoon the fire was spreading exponentially.(Alison Sandstrom)

Emergency officials immediately moved into the affected areas going door-to-door to evacuate. (Dwight Bergstrom)

More to come.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow