A Fire Advisory remains in effect for the High Level Forest Area. Use caution within the Forest Protection Area. To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (3473). The Jackpot Creek fire is Under Control (UC).
HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA UPDATE | JULY 24, 2019 AT 7:00 P.M.There are currently 20 active wildfires in the High Level Area. Of these fires: 4 are Out of Control (OC), 6 are Being Held (BH) and 10 are Under Control (UC). Click here for a map of all fire locations and their status within the High Level Forest Area. (See below for details on the Chuckegg Creek wildfire).
Wildfires note:
- Fire (HWF150) is located 52 km west of Zama City and is classified as Being Held (BH) at an estimate of 84 hectares. There are 4 firefighters working on this fire. There is no threat to any communities at this time.
- Fire (HWF143) is located 53 km to the Southeast of South Tall Cree and is classified as Out of Control (OC) at an estimated size of 7.3 hectares. There are 13 firefighters and 3 helicopters working on this fire. There is no threat to the community at this time.
- Fire (HWF141) is located 47 km east of North Tall Cree and is classified as Out of Control (OC) at an estimated size of 5.9 hectares. There are 13 firefighters and 3 helicopters working on this fire. There is no threat to the community at this time.
- Fire (HWF140) is located 45 km to the southeast of South Tall Cree and is classified as Out of Control (OC) at an estimated size of 273 hectares. There are 39 firefighters and 5 helicopters working on this fire. There is no threat to the community at this time.
- Fire (HWF-113) is located 62 km southeast of the Town of Rainbow Lake and is Being Held (BH) at 185 hectares. There are 32 firefighters and 4 helicopters working on this fire. There is no risk to communities at this time.
- The Jackpot Creek wildfire (HWF-066) is located north of Lutose and is Under Control (UC) at 74,331 hectares. There are 22 firefighters, 4 helicopters and heavy equipment working on this fire.
NOTE: Unless conditions change, the next update will be at 11:00 a.m. on July 25, 2019.
Firefighters, helicopters, airtankers and heavy equipment are positioned throughout the High Level Forest Area to respond to any new wildfire starts.
Extinguishing hotspots and removing potential danger tree hazards
CHUCKEGG CREEK WILDFIRE UPDATE | JULY 24, 2019 AT 7:00 P.M.
- Last recorded size: 350,134.89 hectares
- Fire perimeter: 635.27 km
- There are 743 firefighters and support staff, 48 helicopters and 50 pieces of heavy equipment fighting this wildfire.
*Fire size and perimeter are subject to change based on clearer visibility for high-altitude scanning.
Smoke and fire activity may occur along Highway 35 south and Highway 58 east of High Level. Please use caution as you're traveling through these areas and consider slowing down as you pass through.
If you have any health concerns related to smoke activity, please contact Alberta Health Services for assistance or call 811.
Thanks to the hard work of firefighters and other support resources, the mandatory evacuation has been lifted for residents affected near Devil Lake. For more information, visit the Mackenzie County Facebook page.
Fire activity remained quiet today as cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity levels enabled firefighters to continue making good progress on priority areas. The fireguard being built in between Devil Lake and Surette Lake is expected to be finished by tomorrow or Friday as heavy equipment took advantage of clearer visibility. Helicopters bucketing were able to provide good support to firefighters on the ground, extinguishing hotspots identified in more active priority zones.
The planned controlled ignition operation did not occur today and will not likely present the right conditions over the next several days. With the support of helicopters, ignition specialists did a great job securing the west side of the Peace River, preventing any spread to occur onto the east side.
The west side of the fire continues to remain quiet, but firefighters and helicopters will continue patrolling those areas and extinguishing hotspots where needed.
Tomorrow will continue to bring cooler weather, as temperatures should reach 16 degrees with a relative humidity of 80% and winds coming from the northwest at 25 km/hr., gusting to 45 km/hr. Rain is expected throughout the day, but will be scattered over the fire area. Nonetheless, a positive forecast for the Chuckegg Creek wildfire.
Even with the reduced fire activity and cooler weather, areas of the fire will still remain active. Please remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings while traveling near the fire.
Alberta rappel crew walking the line for their next assignment
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Did you know?
Planned controlled ignition operations have many conditions that go into initiating a successful burn. Conditions like the right wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity levels, the type of fuel or landscape that’s being burned, and the support resources to contain the burn (firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment). If one of those conditions are not met, the burn will not happen. We are very calculated in our approach to planned controlled ignition burning and take this operation very seriously.
Although the Chuckegg Creek wildfire has not completely burned the entire interior of the fire, the current perimeter is over 610 km around - that's like driving from Edmonton to Calgary, and back!
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The Chuckegg Creek wildfire will continue to be an active wildfire situation. As a result, smoke may be present along nearby highways and communities. Please use caution as you travel through these areas to ensure the safety of firefighters and community residents.
FIRE ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
A Fire Advisory remains in effect due to the hotter temperatures, no significant rainfall and the ongoing wildfire activity within the High Level Forest Area.
Current short term permits will not be renewed and all permit holders with root rows/root piles need to ensure all piles are extinguished prior to the expiry of their permit.
- Safe campfires are currently allowed
- Current seasonal permits issued until October 31, 2019 will remain valid
- New permits will only be issued for smudges and burn barrels
To get a fire permit please call 780-926-5407 and leave a detailed message including your home address, burn location and what you plan to burn. A patrolman will contact you to arrange a site visit.
Visit albertafirebans.ca for more information or download the new Alberta Fire Bans mobile app.
ALERTS AND EVACUATIONS | BE PREPARED, STAY INFORMED
Download the Alberta Emergency Alert app or visit their website by clicking here. You can also check with the county, the town or your local community to see if new alerts or evacuation orders have been issued.
ROAD CLOSURE INFORMATION
To stay informed on all road closure information visit the Alberta Transportation website or download the mobile app.
SMOKE ISSUES
Smoke from wildfires in northern Alberta has caused poor air quality and reducing visibility at times. Winds will continue to shift bringing smoky conditions. For health related smoke issues, please visit Alberta Health Services.
PUBLIC SAFETY - WILDFIRE OPERATIONS
During an active wildfire, the highest priority is the safety of the public and wildfire personnel. Please refrain from entering areas of active wildfire suppression. If you encounter aircraft or helicopter bucketing operations on a water body please move your boat to shore.
The airspace around a wildfire is restricted via NOTAM in a radius of 9 kilometres to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level. It is illegal to operate any aircraft not associated with wildfire suppression within the restricted area, including drones. Do not fly drones or UAVs near or within the perimeter of an active wildfire. When a drone is near a wildfire it endangers firefighting personnel and important aerial firefighting operations will be grounded. Those caught in violation can be subject to an automatic court appearance and a fine of up to $100,000.
Victoria Ostendorf | Wildfire Information Officer
High Level Forest Area
Phone: 780-841-9387
1-866-FYI-FIRE
Matt Bell | Wildfire Information Officer (Chuckegg Creek wildfire)
Phone: 587-986-4985
1-866-FYI-FIRE
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