WILDFIRE HAZARD
Rain and cooler temperatures keep the wildfire hazard at LOW for the Whitecourt Forest Area.
It is still important if you are working or recreating in the forest to take the necessary precautions to prevent a wildfire. If you see smoke in the forest, call 310-FIRE (3473).
Image: Rainfall in Whitecourt.
FIRE PERMITS
Help firefighters by getting a fire permit. Avoid a false alarm and make sure firefighters are where they are needed - not in your backyard.
A fire permit is required for any burning (except campfires) within the Forest Protection Area. If you are in the Whitecourt Forest Area, get the permit process started today by calling: 780-778-7272.
Tip: Check the weather forecast before you burn, do not burn if the wind speed is over 15 kilometres per hour. Learn more about how to prepare a burn site.
LOCAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
There have been no new wildfires since August 3, 2016 in the Whitecourt Forest Area. Since April 1, 2016 there have been 36 wildfires in the Area, that have burned just over 671 hectares. Twenty-nine of the wildfires were human-caused meaning that almost all of the wildfires were preventable.
For information on the wildfire situation across the province of Alberta, visit wildfire.alberta.ca.
Visit beta.albertafirebans.ca to learn about fire restrictions or bans across the province.
Note: 1 hectare is 100 metres by 100 metres or approximately the size of 2 football fields.
JUNIOR FOREST RANGER UPDATE
The summer has ended for the Junior Forest Rangers (JFR) in the province. Read about their end of the season event here!
Image: The Fox Creek JFR Crew at the end of season Bull Of The Woods event.
This week, the Town of Whitecourt made a donation to the Junior Forest Ranger Program. Thank you again for supporting this improtant youth program. You can learn more about the JFR program by visiting albertajfr.ca.
Image: Mayor Chichak of Whitecourt receiving an image of the 2016 JFR crews in recognition of the Towns support of the program.
Unless conditions change, your next email update will be on October 7, 2016.
For more frequent updates, check the Alberta Wildfire App for your mobile Android or Apple products. You can also subscribe to the update to have it emailed to you.