Today marks the official end to wildfire season.
We had 118 wildfires in the Lac La Biche forest area between March 1 and October 31, 2016. There were 1,335 wiildfires in Alberta this season. The number of fires this season, locally and provincially, is down over last season and down over the five year average.
Mother Nature did her part to help out with wildfires, particularly with the cool and wet weather we had in late summer. And our thanks goes out to all of you who did your part to prevent human caused wildfires in the area.
You do not need a permit for any burning beginning November 1. If you're planning a large burn, we do appreciate if you let us know your location by phoning the office. We keep a record which helps us with potential smoke reports in the early Spring.
If you're planning to burn, remember that the dry ground conditions mean it's likely fires will dig into the ground and smoulder. Ground fires can be a problem at this time of year and into the winter.
If you're out hunting this month, and have a campfire for lunch, please make sure it's out before you leave it. We always get a few reports of abandoned campfires at this time of year. Stomp the embers until they're out if you don't have access to water.
This report will be issued once a month until wildfire season starts again on March 1, 2017 - which is only 120 days away!
Thanks for your support this season. We appreciate you respecting the wildfire hazards, the permit process and the quad ban we had this summer.
If there's anything we can help you with over the winter, please contact the office. We have crews working through the winter on FireSmart projects and we will be busy getting ready for another fire season.
Stay warm!
Leslie Lozinski
Forest Information Officer
780-623-9758