Fire season ended October 31, 2016. The 2017 fire season begins March 1, 2017.
Updated November 8, 2016 - There are currently no active wildfires in the Grande Prairie Forest Area.
The 2016 fire season saw 73 fires burn a total of 137 hectares in the Grande Prairie Forest Area. These fires have all been extinguished. Thank you to all those who helped prevent wildfires this year by respecting fire and OHV bans, properly extinguishing campfires and taking precautions while recreating in forested areas.
Throughout the province a total of 1341 fires have burned 611,464.70 hectares so far in 2016. There are currently two wildfires in the province, both are under control.
The current wildfire hazard for the Grande Prairie region is LOW. If you spot smoke or fire in forested areas call 310-FIRE immediately to report it.
For more information regarding Bill 24, The Forest and Prairie Protection Amendment Act, which was tabled in the legislature October 31, 2016 see this release.
Fire Permits
Fire permits are no longer required in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta after October 31st. If you are planning on doing any large burning it is still important to check with your local municipality or county as many have winter burning bylaws and notification systems in place that can help monitor smoke and prevent an uneccesary emergency response .
Fire permits will once again be required in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta as of March 1, 2017.
The Deadline to Apply for Wildfire Crew Positions is November 30, 2016
Are you looking for an exciting seasonal employment opportunity? Alberta Wildfire has a huge variety of seasonal positions from firefighting to fire detection, lookout observers, logistics and dispatch. With offices throughout the province there are plenty of options for positions and placement. Deadlines for applications vary and begin November 30, 2016 with the deadline for firefighting crew positions.
Find job descriptions, deadlines and application information here.
This video was made over the past fire season by a member of our Grande Prairie Unit Crew:
Get the most up-to-date wildfire information for the entire province by downloading the Alberta Wildfire app for Android or Apple devices.
For more information contact:
Melinda Paplawski | Wildfire Information Officer
Grande Prairie Forest Area
Mobile: (780) 933-1929
Melinda.Paplawski@gov.ab.ca