Whitecourt Area Update

Backyard campfires prohibited; off-highway vehicle use not recommended | Whitecourt Forest Area

Posted on Thu, May 05, 2016

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Fire Restriction in Effect

A Fire Restriction is now in place for the Whitecourt Forest Area.  

  • All fire permits are suspended or canceled and no new permits will be issued until conditions change.
  • Under the current Fire Restriction, backyard campfires are prohibited. Other activities are prohibited as well: 

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Other jurisdictions, including municipalities and provincial parks, may also issue fire restrictions or bans. Visit AlbertaFirebans.ca for detailed information.

 

Off-Highway Vehicle Use Not Recommended

 

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Personal Use

Consider not riding your off-highway vehicle until the wildfire hazard reduces. The hot, dry weather makes it more important than ever to not start a wildfire. Please consider postponing all off-highway vehicle use until conditions improve.


Are You Working With an Off-Highway Vehicle or Heavy Equipment?

Under the extreme wildfire hazard and current Fire Restriction, there are steps you can take in your day-to-day operations to help prevent a wildfire:

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) Use

  • Defer any non-essential use.
  • If you have to use the OHV, before, during and after your ride, stop frequently and remove the build-up of grass, muskeg and other vegetation from your machine (see diagram above for hot spots).
  • Carry firefighting equipment with you at all times – water, shovel and a bucket.

Heavy Equipment

  • Defer any non-essential use.
  • Use an early shift configuration where operations stop at noon, before the heat of the day and the peak wildfire-burning period.
  • Establish “Active Monitoring” practices – once you have completed operations with heavy equipment, stay in place and watch for flames or smoke for at least 30 minutes. This will help you make sure that the work didn’t start a wildfire.
  • If you have specific questions on this, please call our Industry Liaison at 780-779-7321

Wildfire Hazard 

Warm temperatures and lack of rain, keep the wildfire hazard at EXTREME for the Whitecourt Forest Area. Wildfire can start quickly, spread extremely fast, such high-intensity, fast-spreading wildfire is difficult and dangerous to bring under control.

Today, we are expected to reach a high of 16 degrees Celsius, wind will be north west in direction at 20 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 35 kilometres per hour. Rain is not in the forecast for today or tomorrow.

A significant amount of water on the ground is needed for the forest to recover from the current dry conditions. Areas of dry grass and branches pose the most significant risk of wildfire. Wildfire in these areas will start easily and spread quickly, making it very hard for firefighters to control.

 

Wildfire Update

Whitecourt Forest Area Update | May 5 @ 11:00 a.m.

There are two wildfires in the Whitecourt Forest Area. Two have been turned over to the responsible party. One other remains the the Area:

  • Anselmo Area Wildfire (WWF-014) started on April 28 and remains UNDER CONTROL at 1.50 hectares in size.  It is located just over 12 kilometres west of the Town of Mayerthorpe. Firefighters will continue to monitor the wildfire until it is extinguished. 

Since April 1, 2016 there have been 18 wildfires in the Whitecourt Forest Area that have burned 9.15 hectares.

  • In the last 24 hours there have been 26 new wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.
  • There are currently 46 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Six are considered out of control, 11 are being held, 22 are under control and seven have been turned over to the responsible party. 
  • Since April 1, 2016, Alberta has recorded 360 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area that have burned a total of 10,575.08 hectares (numbers do not reflect estimated wildfire size for MWF-009).
  • In the last 24 hours, Agriculture and Forestry provided assistance with four wildfires outside Alberta’s Forest Protection Area.
  • Agriculture and Forestry is currently assisting with five wildfires outside the Forest Protection Area.

For more information about wildfires across the province visit wildfire.alberta.ca.

  

Unless conditions change, you can expect your next update on May 6, 2016.

 
Shannon Stambaugh | Wildfire Information Officer
Whitecourt Forest Area
email: shannon.stambaugh@gov.ab.ca
office: 780-778-7273 | mobile: 780-706-5336
 
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