CALGARY — Crews battling a fire in northern Alberta have lost radio contact and are taking shelter as a runaway wildfire inched closer to the community.
Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen says the firefighters working to save structures in Chipewyan Lake, west of Fort McMurray, lost contact late on Thursday evening.
A social-media post by the minister says one group is sheltering at the local fire station and another is safe at the school.
Loewen says smoke has stymied attempts to evacuate the firefighters so far.
He adds that some structures have been damaged by the flames, but it's unclear just how badly they were hit.
It comes as the Prairie provinces grapple with massive wildfires that have forced thousands from their homes, including 17,000 in northern Manitoba.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.
The Canadian Press
