UPDATE: the rcmp says the way is now clear as of 6:30 PM Wednesday.
The Maidstone RCMP is on scene, closing east and west portions of Highway 16 east of Lloydminster, as they deal with smoke and traffic accidents first thing Wednesday morning.
Officers report that smoke has caused some serious traffic collisions in the area of Marshall and Lashburn. They note that traffic is backed up, and strongly encourage drivers to safely turn around and find new routes.
In the meantime, responders are setting up detours for drivers to use.
Officers say there’s no set time to reopen the area as visibility is severely reduced and it’s unknown how long response investigation will take and the traffic to be returned to normal.