FIRE BAN NOW IN EFFECT- NO FIRES PERMITTED - EXTREME FIRE HAZARD - CAUTION ADVISED
The wildfire hazard remains EXTREME. A FIRE BAN is now in place for the ENTIRE Forest Protection Area of Alberta. The ban applies to all land in Alberta, with the exception of cities, towns, villages, summer villages, and federal land (ie National parks and national defence property)
All fires are now prohibited. The only exception is contained fires fuelled by liquid or gas used for cooking or heating (ie barbeques – no briquettes). Fireworks are also covered under the fire ban.
Any existing fires must be extinguished immediately.
The fire ban is in place as a result of the extreme fire hazard across the province and wildfire activity in central and northern Alberta. Every precaution needs to be taken to ensure no new preventable fires are started in the coming days that will put additional strain on the province's firefighting resources.
Those who choose who contravene the ban can be fined up to $5,000 under the Forest and Prairie Protection act, and can also be held liable for the costs of putting out a fire they start.
For more information call 1-866-FYI-FIRE (394-3473) or visit albertafirebans.ca
Most municipalities in the area also have firebans, restrictions or advisories in place. For more information on these and other advisories, restrictions and fire bans in the province, please visit www.albertafirebans.ca and check municipality websites for updates.
This Ministerial Order came into effect at 6 pm on the 5th day of May, 2016.
Evacuations
There are no evacuations in the Peace River Forest Area at this time.
A number of evacuations are in effect across the province today. Please visit www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca for a listing of all evacuations currently in effect in Alberta. Sign up for the free emergency alert app to get up to the minute alerts and updates on evacuations and other emergencies in the province pushed to your device.
For information on how you can prepare yourself for the event that an evacuation is necessary, visit www.aema.alberta.ca/72-hour-emergency-kit.
Wildfire Preparation
Firefighters, heavy equipment, aircraft and support resources have all been strategically placed throughout the Peace River Forest Area in preparation for any new wildfire starts. Please call 310-FIRE to report wildfires as soon as possible so that these resources can be dispatched expediently.
Active wildfires in the area
There were five new fires today in the Peace River Forest Area (as of 9 pm).
PWF 030 has been extinguished at 0.01 hectares in the Cadotte Lake Area.
PWF 031 is being held at 18 hectares in size in the Paddle Prairie Area. There are numerous firefighters, helicopters and heavy equipment working to control this wildfire.
PWF 032 is under control at 0.80 hectares in the Paddle Prairie Area.
PWF 033 is being held at 1.8 hectares in size in the Paddle Prairie Area.
PWF 034 is being held at 2.0 hectares in the Paddle Prairie Area.
WILDFIRES OF NOTE IN THE AREA:
ABC001 (BC Wildfire # G80068) We have been monitoring a wildfire that is burning west of the Clearhills area on the British Columbia side of the border. It has now crossed over into Alberta and the fire behavior was volatile this afternoon. Smoke from this fire will continue to be visible from a significant distance away for the foreseeable future. We have been working with the BC Forest Service to action this wildfire. On the Alberta side, we have worked to build a dozer guard along the border and successfully stopped the spread of the northern portion with a backburn operation. The south portion is was spreading to the southeast this evening. Please continue to visit the BC Forest Service website for updates. MAP OF ALBERTA PORTION (ESTIMATED BOUNDARY)
SWF 030 is a large fire located approximately 45 kilometres northwest of Red Earth Creek. This fire is currently out of control and the smoke for this fire is visible from many places in the Peace Area. Go to the Slave Lake Wildfire Update for more information.
HWF 044 is now being held just south of High Level. Please visit the High Level Wildfire Update for more information.
UPDATES ON PREVIOUS WILDFIRES:
PMD001 is located just west of Whitelaw and is now under control at approximately 250 hectares in size. The fire has been contained and is not expected to spread beyond the current boundaries.
PWF 008 is under control at 12.3 hectares southwest of Dixonville.
PWF 011 has been turned over at 1.00 hectares east of Notikewin Provincial Park.
PWF 013 is located just southeast of the Figure 8 Lake Provincial Recreation Area and has been extinguished at 99.4 hectares in size.
PWF 022 has been turned over at 1.40 hectares north of the Weberville area.
PWF 023 has been turned over at 0.10 hectares in the St Isidore area.
PWF 024 is now being held at 74 hectares in size west of the Dixonville area (north of the Smith Mills road). The crews were able to make good progress on this fire and the area that spread past the containment line yesterday has been surrounded by dozer guard. Firefighters, aircraft and heavy equipment continue to work towards getting this fire under control.
PWF 028 is under control at 0.01 hectares west of Manning.
PWF 029 is under control at 0.01 hectares in the Eureka River area.
Smoke concerns
Smoke is expected to drift into the area for the unforseeable future. If the smoke is bothering you, please consider staying indoors as much as possible. If you are having difficulties breathing, please call the Healthlink line or visit your local hospital. Please check the smoke forecast daily for expected smoke patterns.
Completely extinguish your campfires
A FIREBAN IS IN EFFECT - NO CAMPFIRES PERMITTED. All existing fires must be completely extinguished immediately. Soak it with water, stir it and soak it again. Repeat this process until the ashes are cool to the touch.
OHV use
Alberta Wildfire staff are requesting that users of OHVs for recreational purposes discontinue use until the wildfire hazard subsides. If use of these vehicles is required for industry personnel only, please take extra precautions and clean debris from hot spots regularly. If you start a fire with your OHV, call 310-FIRE immediately.
Double check your brush piles
With the fire ban now in place, ALL burning, including brush piles must be immediately and completely extinguished. When checking your brushpiles, spread around any remaining debris so you can probe the area for hotspots. Use your bare hand to feel for heat over the ash piles. If you see smoke or feel any heat, the fire is still burning beneath the surface. Douse any remaining hot spots with water and stir up the ashes. A fire is not completely extinguished until there is absolutely no heat emanating from the ashes.
Before you burn it, get your permit
With the fireban now in place, ALL fire permits are suspended and ALL burning must be immediately and completely extinguished. No new fire permits will be issued until further notice.
For more information
To receive these updates:
Bookmark the Peace River Wildfire Update and check for updates anytime, or subscribe to have it emailed to you. You can also download our app, available for Apple and Android devices.
You can also find us onFacebook,Twitter orYoutube or visit www.wildfire.alberta.ca
Or contact:
Crystal Burrows - Wildfire Information Officer
(780) 618-6215
crystal.burrows@gov.ab.ca
Report Wildfires 310-FIRE (3743)