Lac La Biche Area Update

VERY HIGH Wildfire Hazard: Gusty Winds Tomorrow

Posted on Fri, Jul 10, 2015

GFX-HSB-WildfireDangerUpdate-VeryHighThe wildfire hazard for tomorrow is VERY HIGH.  Lightning and gusting winds pose a threat for tomorrow.

The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 30 degrees, humidity of 40%, moderate lightning and winds SE20G45 km/hr.  

We had no new fires this evening.  There are 14 active fires in the area and five of these are out of control.  We have 15 crews and 16 helicopters as well as the airtankers and three dozer groups positioned across the area to fight any new fires.  

Here's a recap of the fires in the area:

LWF 203 is Under Control at .1 hectares.  This fire is in the Bovine area at 14-11-73-19-W4.

LWF 202 is Out of Control at 66 hectares.  This fire is in the Bovine area at 11-36-79-18-W4.  Tankers and helicopters worked this fire all day.  We will put ground resources on this fire when safe to do so and when available.  

LWF 201 is out of control at .5 hectares.  This fire is about 15 miles northeast east of Calling Lake.

LWF 200, on the west side of Winefred Lake, saw a status change today to Under Control at .02 hectares. 

LWF 198, in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, saw a status change today to Being Held at 108 hectares. There was significant airtanker work on this fire throughout the day.  The two ground crews made good progress with the perimeter today.  There are no values at risk.  

LWF 195 is Under Control at 4.25 hectares.  This fire is in the Kirby area. 

LWF 192 is Being Held, at 197 hectares.  Dozer guard is complete around this fire.  There are still some green "islands" within the fire perimeter that are burning. 

LWF 191 remains Out of Control at 280 hectares. This fire is 25 km west of Mariana Lake. The photo below shows some smoke rising off of LWF 191 - the smoke visible in the background is from LWF 202.

LWF_191_July_10

LWF 189 saw a status change to Under Control today, at 103 hectares.  This fire is in the Bovine area. There was no growth today. There is guard around the entire fire.  Cenovus is about 5 km to the north.

LWF 175 remains Out of Control at just under 16,000 hectares.  This fire, which stretches into Saskatchewan, is located just to the east of LWF 192.  There are no values at risk.  Guard is about 60% complete.

LWF 171 is Under Control at 45 hectares.

LWF 161 remains Out of Control.  This fire was about 14,000 hectares until strong afternoon winds pushed the west boundary of the fire.  We won't be able to get an accurate size until the smoke clears.  The fire was so active this afternoon that airtankers had to be pulled off the west side.  Our aerial ignition team was successful in doing a back burn this evening to protect the powerline and keep the fire from moving further west.  The plan is for early morning attack by the airtankers and helicopters to soak the fire before the temperatures heat up and winds pick up.  The fire is about five miles from Highway 63.  We expect smoke to be an issue for traffic tomorrow morning.  Firefighters from Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia are working together to fight this wildfire.  

LWF 122 and LWF 126, from earlier in the season, remain on patrol status.  

ASK 001 - Saskatchewan Fire near Garson Lake, is still active on the west side.  We are monitoring this fire. 

fire_advisory-resized-600

A Fire Advisory remains in place for the Lac La Biche Wildfire Management Area.  Due to high hazard conditions, we are no longer issuing fire permits and existing permits have been suspended.  Safe campfires are currently allowed, but may be restricted in the coming days if conditions worsen.  Keep campfires small and under control.  Make sure they are completely extinguished before you leave them.

Sorry, but NO FIREWORKS.  Avoid or delay the use of quads and all terrain vehicles in the forest. If you must ride, stop frequently and clean grass buildup from your machine. 

 

Thanks for doing your part to prevent wildfire.

For more information, please contact:

Leslie Lozinski

Forest Information Officer

780-623-9758