Wildfire burning near Fort McMurray

Crews are battling an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.

As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.

The Fort McMurray Forest Area is under an “extreme” wildfire danger, according to the Alberta Wildfire website. A fire restriction is in place.

A lack of rain in northern Alberta resulted in a fire ban in the Grande Prairie Forest Area on Thursday, officials said.

“They just didn’t get the precipitation,” Alberta Wildfire spokesperson Christie Tucker said in the weekly provincial wildfire update Thursday morning in Edmonton.

“We know in the short term this weekend, we are expecting dry conditions, we’re expecting warm conditions, we are looking at winds in a couple of areas that could provide additional danger, and so we are increasing our caution for this weekend, particularly in those areas that didn’t get as much rain around the Peace and Grande Prairie region,” Tucker explained.

Out of 41 active wildfires as of 11 a.m., the one near Fort McMurray is the only one out of control.