Tanis Blocka will be acting Information Officer for the area as Leah Lovequist has been called to Fort McMurray. Anyone requiring information can contact Tanis at Tanis.Blocka@gov.ab.ca or 780-516-1347.
Even though we have had cooler temperatures in the Slave Lake Forest Area we have not received significant precipitation, therefore the fuel moisture levels are still low which results in higher hazards. The forecast for this weekend is for a warming trend with no precipitation so the the hazard for the Slave Lake Forest Area will remain EXTREME. Call 310-FIRE (3473) immediately to report a wildfire.
Wildfire Update
There were two new wildfire starts in the Slave Lake Forest Area today, one was quickly actioned by the wildfire firefighters who kept it to a small size of 0.01 hectares and it is considered to be extinguished. The other was a grass fire that was actioned by a local fire department with a helicopter standing by if required.
Otter Lakes Wildfire Update
The Otter Lakes wildfire is located approximately 36 kilometres northwest of Red Earth Creek. Communities are not being threatened. Firefighters, heavy equipment and helicopters continue to fight this wildfire lead by an incident management team.
The Otter Lakes wildfire is now considered to 'be held' which means that given the current weather conditions and resources, the wildfire is not anticipated to grow past its current boundaries. This is a photo of the fire taken at 4:45 pm on May 11, 2016.
Since April 1st there have been 52 wildfires in the Slave Lake Forest Area and the total area burned over 1996.60 hectares.
Click here to view the Wildfire Situation in Alberta.
Smoke in the Air 
- Smoke from the Fort McMurray fires has moved into the area.
- If you have health concerns regarding smoke inhalation from a wildfire, check the Alberta Health Services website or call 811 for 24 hour health advice.
- The photo below is from the smoke forecast from firesmoke.ca.
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A fire ban has been issued for the province of Alberta as of 6:00 pm on May 5th.
The fireban will be in place until further notice. Every precaution is being taken to ensure no new preventable fires are started in the coming days that will put additional strain on the province's firefighting resources.
For more information on the Fire Bans, visit AlbertaFirebans.ca or call 1-866-FYI-FIRE (394-3473).
- If Albertan's are witnessing restricted OHV activities they can call the Report a Poacher Line at 1-800-642-3800.
- For more information you can visit emergency.alberta.ca
Thank you for your patience and cooperation, by following the fire ban and OHV restriction, you help keep our firefighters free to fight wildfires.
Unless conditions change, you can expect your next wildfire update on May 12th.
Tanis Blocka -Wildfire Information Officer
Mobile: 780.516.1347
Tanis.Blocka@gov.ab.ca
Report Wildfires 310-FIRE (3473)
