Slave Lake Area Update

Slave Lake Forest Area Wildfire Update - November 1, 2017

Posted on Wed, Nov 01, 2017

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October 31st marked the official end of the wildfire season in Alberta.

Fire permits are no longer required however, you are responsible for any fires you ignite in the winter.

Take the time to properly prepare your burn site, know the requirements needed to be successful during your burn and properly extinguish your site.

While burning:

  • Have someone monitoring the burn the entire time – if it escapes, immediately report it to 310-FIRE.
  • Only burn what you can control with the equipment and people you have available and adjust your burning according to weather conditions.
  • Build it right. Brush piles or debris windrows should be free of soil, built to a maximum height of 3 metres, with a fireguard or cleared land around it to stop the spread of fire.

After you burn:

  • Spread remaining material within the pile and soak with water as required.
  • Check the area and ensure both heat and smoke are no longer being produced by the pile – it should be cool to the touch.
  • Check your burn site multiple times in the following weeks to ensure it has not reignited.

If you are burning brush piles in the Slave Lake Forest Area, please report your burn location to our Wildfire Technologist Russell Murphy by calling 780-849-7457.


Wildfire Season Wrap up

Since March 1st, the Slave Lake Forest Area has recorded 124 wildfires, burning a total area of 17,710.49 hectares. Of the 124 wildfires, 123 have been extinguished and one (SWF107) remains under control.

Slave Lake Wildfire 107 is located approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Chipewyan Lakes and 112 kilometres northwest of Fort McMurray. Firefighters declared this wildfire under control at 17, 032 hectares on September 21st.  Click here to view map of SWF107.

Since this wildfire occurred in a zone where it did not threaten communities or resources it was allowed to burn onto the landscape naturally under the watchful eye of experienced fire managers. Using this wildfire management strategy has many benefits; it re-introduces fire onto the landscape, creates a break in the continuous fuels, reduces the intensity of the fire providing safety zones for our firefighting crews to work from and reduces the cost of fighting these wildfires.

For information on the wildfire situation across the province of Alberta click here.


Alberta Wildfire is now hiring

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Wildfire Information

Keep up to date on the wildfire situation by subscribing to the Slave Lake Forest Area wildfire update  or download the Alberta Wildfire app for Apple or Android devices. 

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If you have any questions please contact

Leah Lovequist

Wildfire Information Officer

Mobile: 780-849-0945

Email: leah.lovequist@gov.ab.ca

Report Wildfires 310-FIRE (3473)