Fort McMurray Forest Area

Fort McMurray Forest Area - June 09, 2025

Wildfire situation

There are currently 6 active wildfires burning in the forest area, with 4 classified as out of control, 1 is classified as being held, and 1 is classified as under control.

Tulip Lake Wildfire (MWF026) 

This wildfire is currently classified as out of control and is an estimated 14,152 hectares (ha) in size. It is burning 15 km northeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 28 km east of Fort Smith.  See a map of Tulip Lake wildfire, June 4, 2025.    

A unified command team is responsible for managing this wildfire. It has been established in collaboration with the Northwest Territories and includes representation from the Tthebatthı Dënesųłiné First Nation.  A US Incident Management Team, provided through the Northwest Compact, has now arrived and assisting with operations.

There has been minimal fire growth, and the fire is now 36% contained.  Crews continue to take advantage of favorable conditions with air and ground support to further extend and secure containment lines on the northwest, west, and southwest sides of the fire.  Suppression operations include airtankers, helicopters conducting water drops, ignition operations, and ground crews to prevent the growth of the fire towards the communities.  

Winds are from the west at 15 to 20 km/h, with gusts up to 40 km/h.

Structure protection teams have placed sprinkler systems on all known buildings east of the Slave River on the Alberta side. Northwest Territories has completed structure protection on their side as well.  

Testing of the high-volume sprinkler system was successful and is now fully operational.  Over 10 km of sprinklers systems are installed, with the assistance of Fort Smith Protective Services, as a precaution to protect Fort Fitzgerald, Border Town, Halfway, and Fort Smith.  For your safety we kindly ask the public to please give crews the space they need to work and stay away from these sprinkler lines and equipment.  

MWF028 

MWF025 was detected on June 9 and is classified as out of control and estimated at approximately 90 ha in size. The wildfire is burning approximately 12 km southeast of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation's Chipewyan 201G reserve, and approximately 7 km south of Dianne Lakes.  Alberta Wildfire crews are actively responding with the support of air tankers and helicopters conducting water bucketing operations to slow the fire’s spread.

MWF025 

MWF025 is classified as out of control and is an estimated 32,759 ha in size. The wildfire is burning approximately 48 km north of Fort Chipewyan, near Barrow Lake.  Alberta wildfire crews continue to maintain structure protection that has been deployed to cabins in the area. This fire poses no risks to the community at this time.  

MWF016 

This wildfire is classified as out of control and is an estimated 21,000 ha in size. This wildfire is burning approximately 85 km west of Fort McMurray. There has been limited growth thanks to recent weather and firefighters continue to make progress on the east side to reinforce and maintain containment lines. This fire poses no risks to the community at this time.

MWF027

This wildfire is classified as being held and estimated as approximately 7 ha in size.  It is located approximately 65 km west of Fort McMurray, near the Athabasca River.  Alberta wildfire crews continue to make significant progress on this fire with air support and ground crews.  This fire poses no risks to the community at this time.  

To view all active wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest area, visit the wildfire status dashboard,  download the Alberta Wildfire Status app, or visit the wildfire status page for information and wildfire definitions used in Alberta.            

Since January 1, 2025 there have been 27 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area burning approximately 74,441 ha. 

Smoke

Wildfires across the province have been creating smoky conditions across the Fort McMurray Forest Area.  Always use caution when conditions are smoky and limit your time outside if possible.

• Visit FireSmoke Canada to see where the smoke is coming from.
• Smoky conditions can affect your health. Go to wildfire smoke and your health for more information.
• Call Health Link at 811 if you are having respiratory problems due to smoke.

Wildfire pledge

Join Mayor Sandy Bowman and Director of Emergency Management Cindy Miller in signing the wildfire pledge today!

Take the pledge, reduce wildfires, and be entered to win an educational helicopter flight!

Sign the pledge:

• I will always use fire responsibly and safely in the Fort McMurray Forest Area.
• I will fully extinguish my campfire by soaking it, stirring it and soaking it again.
• I will stop and check my off-highway vehicle regularly for built-up debris while riding off-road.
• I will report any smoke I see in the forested areas to 310-FIRE.
• I will be an ambassador for fire safety when enjoying Alberta’s forested areas with friends and family.

Everyone plays a role in reducing the risk of wildfires. 

Please sign the pledge here by filling in the form at the bottom. One entry per person.

Off-highway vehicle safety

An off-highway vehicle (OHV) can cause a wildfire. You can reduce the risk by following these simple steps:

• Before you ride, clean out hot spots and remove debris from your machine.
• After riding through muskeg or tall grass, stop and remove any build-up from your machine.
• Carry firefighting equipment such as a small shovel, collapsible pail or fire extinguisher.
• Wash your OHV and keep it clean. Do not wash in streams and creeks.
• Make sure your muffler and spark arrestor are working properly.
• Stop frequently. Take the time to knock debris from your machine’s hot spots. If the debris is smouldering, soak it, stir it, and soak it again to make sure it is extinguished.

For more information, see Off-highway vehicle safety.