Due to the hard work of our air tankers, helicopters, firefighters and heavy equipment groups in combination with the rain that passed over the fire last night and the cool overnight temperatures, PWF 030 in the St. Isidore area is now being held at 64 hectares and given the current conditions, is not expected to spread any further.    

Fire Advisory

Due to the warm, dry conditions and dry surface fuels, the Peace River Wildfire Management Area has declared a Fire Advisory, effective May 11, 2015.  Caution is recommended.

Safe campfires are permitted in campgrounds and back country or random camping areas.  Please ensure that your campfire is COMPLETELY extinguished before you leave your site and do not leave it unattended at any time.   

Wildfire Hazard

Despite the small amount of rain that passed through yesterday, temperatures are expected to climb back up the rest of the weekend, and there is no significant rain in the forecast.  The wildfire hazard remains VERY HIGH and is expected to continue to increase throughout the weekend. Residents and visitors to the Peace River Wildfire Management Area are urged to be cautious with any burning at this time.

Fire fighting crews, air tankers, helicopters and heavy equipment have been strategically placed throughout the Peace River Wildfire Management Area ready to be quickly dispatched to any wildfire starts.  Our wildfire lookouts and aerial patrol crews will be on the look out for any new wildfire starts, but we need your help too.  PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN BURNING OR RECREATING IN THE FOREST AND CALL 310-FIRE TO REPORT WILDFIRES. 

Local Wildfires

There have been 36 wildfires in the Peace River Wildfire Management Area this fire season, 9 of which were discovered and actioned yesterday.  Of the nine wildfires that started yesterday, 5 have now been extinguished, one is under control, one is being held, and two have been turned over to the land owner.  THERE ARE NO STRUCTURES OR OTHER VALUES AT RISK AT THIS TIME.

PWF 030 is now being held at 64 hectares in size east of St Isidore.  The fire has now been completely surrounded by dozerguard and today there were 3 helicopters, over 30 firefighters and a tanker group working towards getting this fire under control.

Each of the other wildfires that were discovered last night are under one hectare in size.  The cause of all of the wildfires has yet to be determined however, it is likely that many were started by the lightning that passed through the area last night.  Over the next couple of days, there will be a risk of more lightning fires popping up as the temperatures increase and the area dries up again. 

PWF-027 is located southeast of Frank Lake in the Kimiwan Area and was discovered on Monday. It remains under control at 10 hectares in size. 

Wildfire Prevention

With the very high fire hazard and dry forest vegetation in the area, many recreational activities can ignite a wildfire. It is extremely important that extra caution is taken while recreating this long weekend. Please remember to get a fire permit before you burn, ensure that your campfire is COMPLETELY extinguished before you leave your site and check your ATV for dry debris that may be heating up on the hot parts of your machine.  Most importantly, call 310-FIRE IMMEDIATELY to report a wildfire. In these conditions, it is important to get fire fighting resources to all wildfires as soon as possible.

Please click on the links above for more information on how YOU can prevent wildfires.