Dry grass can catch easily and burn quickly. Areas of exposed dry grass and fine fuels are a concern and any spark, friction or hot exhaust can easily start a wildfire even when the temperatures are cooler.
Ensure you adhere to your burn permit, never burn in windy conditions and always extinguish your campfire.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
LFB06 will be assisting the forest area this year with wildfire suppression, including infrared scan testing south of Hinton this month.
EDSON FOREST AREA FIRE DANGER RATING
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area remains MODERATE due to exposed dry grass and fine fuels.
INFRARED SCANNING TESTING | HINTON | May 6 - 27, 2022
Infrared scanning (IR) is one of many tools that we use to help fight wildfire by locating hotspots effectively and quickly. Once the flames of the wildfire have diminished, the fire can continue to smoulder into the ground for days or even weeks. Firefighters must find these hotspots and ensure they are dug out. This is often done by hand or with heavy equipment. They are then properly extinguished with water to ensure they don't re-surface later and become another wildfire.
Starting May 6 until May 27, both drones and helicopters will be flying in the Hinton area, testing their infrared scanning equipment as early as 4 a.m. and late into the night. The operators of these machines are private contractors that AB Widlfire hires and are evaluated on their accuracy, during both day and night.
The tests will be conducted over a pre-set grid system over the Cache Percotte forest, located south of the Town of Hinton. Ten firefighters will be assisting these test during the month and positioned on the grid with propane heaters for the equipment to find.
A MESSAGE FROM JASPER NATIONAL PARK
PRESCRIBED BURN
On Tuesday May 3, 2022, Jasper National Park’s fire management specialists ignited the remaining 300 hectares of the Henry House prescribed fire, approximately 13 kilometres northeast of the Jasper townsite. Their operation was successful and their goals were met.
Parks Canada is committed to restoring fire to the landscape, benefiting communities and ecosystems. Fires are necessary to improve forest health and reduce the long-term risk of wildfire to communities. Historical fire suppression has caused a significant decline in ecosystem health and diversity of species within the mountain national parks. The Henry House area was originally burned in 1988, and reburned in 2008 to restore rare open montane grassland.
For more information, click here to view the newsletter by Jasper National Park.
ALBERTA FOREST WEEK | MAY 1 - 7, 2022
Alberta has a long-standing tradition of Forest Week and Arbor Day celebrations. The spirit of Arbor Day instils the values of conservation and stewardship as well as the environmental benefits of our trees and forests. Alberta Forest Week is celebrated each year during the first full week in May.
Join us in celebrating AB Forest Week and pick up your own, free tree seedling from one of the following events happening near you!
To learn more about your tree seedling and how to care for it, click here to watch a video.
Edson Farmers Market - May 6 | Grande Cache Tourism Centre - May 7
FIRE PERMITS
Wildfire season in Alberta is from March 1 until October 31. During wildfire season, you are required to have a fire permit if you plan on burning in the Forest Protection Area, with the exception of a campfire. To request your free fire permit, contact the local forest area: (780) 723-8527 or you can request your permit using the new, convenient online fire permit portal.
We ask that you plan ahead, there may be delays for a forest officer to visit your site. For more information regarding fire permits, you can view our video by clicking here.
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022, there have been 32 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 29.68 ha.
2021 - EWF075 is now EXTINGUISHED as of May 4, 2022. The wildfire was detected in 2021 and was located 9 km west of Evansburg, north of highway 16 and west of highway 22. The wildfire was 175 hectares in size.
To view the wildfires on a map, check out the new wildfire dashboard. It provides up-to-date wildfire information at the click of a button. This interactive tool displays important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 172 wildfires burning a total of 408 ha.
WILDFIRE PREVENTION TIPS
Albertans are always asked to use caution when working or recreating in the outdoors:
- Before you burn it, get your fire permit. Fire permits in Alberta.
- Clear debris from hot spots on your off-highway vehicle.
- Ensure your campfire is out - soak it, stir it, soak it again.
- Before you head out this weekend, check out the albertafirebans.ca website or download the app to stay informed.
ALBERTA WILDFIRE INFORMATION
- Subscribe to the Edson Forest Area wildfire update to receive an email when new information is posted.
- Download the Alberta Wildfire App for Apple and Android device.
- Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
For more information, please contact:
