EDMONTON -- Hot, dry conditions have turned parts of the Prairies into a tinderbox, as wildfires torched rural homes and forced people to flee communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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In Manitoba, officials were warning that conditions were ripe for wildfires as crews and water bombers battled 10 blazes throughout the province.
Tom Mirius, a spokesman for Manitoba's Conservation department, said the conditions include no green-up, very dry grass, few leaves on trees and high winds.
A big drop in the wind in Alberta today helped crews make gains on wildfires that forced the evacuation of 150 people from the hamlet of Newbrook north of Edmonton.
An out of control grass fire forced more than 40 people to leave the village of Tadmore, Sask., last night, destroying two homes and heavily damaging a Canadian National Railway bridge.
Officials were hoping for calm winds and cooler temperatures.
"We are monitoring the situation minute by minute" said Rob Harris, a wildfire information officer for the Alberta government.
"The forest fire threat is from very high to extreme in central and northern parts of the province."
In Saskatchewan, RCMP, along with the Sturgis and Canora fire departments, responded to the grass fire that roared toward Tadmore, 350 km. east of Saskatoon.
"It was very windy. They evacuated everyone. They were in harms way," RCMP Sgt. Carole Raymond said.
Those residents have since returned to their homes, she said.
CN repair crews replaced the bridge on Saturday and the rail line was back in service.
Near Newbrook, Alta., crews were working around the clock on a fire barrier after flames on Friday came within a few kilometres of the community.
Reeve Henry Zolkewski of the County of Thorhild said a few homes in the rural area were lost but the situation was stabilizing.
"It is so much easier to get control of the fire when the winds aren't so bad," he said.
"It is not fully under control yet. Newbrook is still being threatened. We still have the evacuation notice in effect and we still have Highway 63 closed."
Elsewhere in Alberta crews and water bombers were fighting wildfires in remote areas near Manning and Slave Lake.
How the situation develops over the long weekend will largely depend on the weather and the wind, said Harris.
"Today will be hot and dry. Tomorrow looks a little bit better."
The Canadian Press
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