An additional 12,000 people in northwest Alberta have been
placed on evacuation alert as an out-of-control wildfire in the area
grows.

Mackenzie County issued an eight-hour evacuation alert for a
large swath of the county on Saturday afternoon. The alert extends from
the outskirts of High Level east to Fort Vermillion, and south towards
the mandatory evacuation area around the Paddle Prairie Métis
Settlement.

The alert was issued “out of an abundance of caution,”
due to shifting winds and dry conditions, the county said in a Facebook
post.

The
alert is intended to give people an opportunity to prepare for a
potential evacuation order as the Chuckegg Creek wildfire continues to
engulf land southwest of High Level.

The county is asking
residents to fuel their vehicles, gather important documents and prepare
enough food and water for two to three days.