The evacuation order for Drayton Valley remained in effect Sunday evening and the fire chief is warning people to stay away. “This fire remains out of control and so it’s imperative that people stay out of this area,” said Tom Thomson, fire chief for Drayton Valley and Brazeau County Fire Services. “I can’t stress that enough.
The evacuation order remains in effect for this area. “Even with the change in the weather and the rain, the fire has grown over 40 per cent in the last 24 hours,” he said. “We went from 3,500 hectares in size to now 4,970 hectares. “The risk to the public is still extremely high and it is not safe to enter the community at this time.” Thomson said officials are working ahead on a re-entry plan and will share it once the fire is under control and re-entry can be considered.
There is no timeline for any potential return. Conditions improved slightly Sunday, Thomson said, but he confirmed four homes have been destroyed. “We had a bit of light rain in the region this morning and the hard work of our fire crews has worked in our favour.
However, it was not enough to make a significant change in the situation to allow re-entry into the fire area. “We are deeply saddened to confirm that four homes have been lost due to this wildfire.