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 25, 2019 AT 11:00 A.M.There are currently 24 active wildfires in the High Level Area. Of these fires: 4 are Out of Control (OC), 9 are Being Held (BH) and 11 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 of 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 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 6 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.
- 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 7:00 p.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.
Firefighters walking to the next assignment
CHUCKEGG CREEK WILDFIRE UPDATE | JULY 25, 2019 AT 11:00 A.M.
- Last recorded size: 350,134 hectares
- Fire perimeter: 635.27 km
- There are 800 firefighters and support staff, 47 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 remains quiet as containment lines are nearing completion within the interior of the fire. Firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment will continue identifying hotspots and tying in fireguard to natural boundaries or areas where fire spread will not occur.
The planned controlled ignition operation will likely be done for the Chuckegg Creek wildfire as great work was made along the west side of the Peace River, west of La Crete. Thanks to the hard work done in that area, this reduced the containment timeline drastically, saving weeks of additional work and hundreds of firefighters being deployed in that area.
The west side of the fire continues to remain quiet, but firefighters and helicopters will continue patrolling those areas and extinguishing hotspots where needed.
Cooler temperatures are expected today, with a forecast high of 16 degrees and a relative humidity of 80%. Winds will be from the west/northwest at 25 km/hr., gusting to 45 km/hr. in some areas.
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.
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Did you know?
The Chuckegg Creek wildfire has welcomed the support of firefighters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, California, Colorado, Washington and South Africa.
Although the Chuckegg Creek wildfire has not completely burned the entire interior of the fire, the current perimeter is over 630 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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