Whitecourt Wildfire Hazard Update

WILDFIRE HAZARD UPDATE

Warm, dry weather mixing with a strong wind increases the wildfire hazard to very high for the Whitecourt Forest Area. Temperatures will be above 25 degrees Celsius and the wind will be southeast in direction at 20 kilometers per hour, gusting up to 40 kilometers per hour.

Burning is not recommended when the wind is 15 kilometers per hour or greater. Make sure you are abiding by the conditons on your fire permit.

If you see smoke in the forest, call 310-FIRE (3473).

AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
11:00 a.m., June 7, 2017

In the past 24 hours, there have been no new wildfires in the Whitecourt Forest Area. Currently, one wildfire is active.

Wildfire number 14 is located 19 kilometers northwest of Carson-Pegasus Provincial Park (west of highway 32). The wildfire was discovered on May 28 at 7:40 p.m. burning 8.30 hectares. It is classified as under control which means it will not grow any further. Firefighters will continue to monitor the site until it is fully extinguished.

Since the start of the 2017 wildfire season, there have been 14 wildfires that have burned 9.24 hectares in the Whitecourt Forest Area.

PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
11:00 a.m., June 7, 2017

There are currently 15 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. One wildfire is being held, 11 are under control and three have been turned over to the responsible parties.

Since March 1, 2017, Alberta has recorded 507 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area that have burned a total of 2,166.91 hectares.

For information on the wildfire situation across the province of Alberta, visit the provincial wildfire status map.

FIRE PERMITS

As of March 1, a free fire permit is required for all burning (except for campfires) within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. To get started call:

Whitecourt patrolman at 780-778-1590 or
Whitecourt Fire Centre at 780-778-7272

Penalties now exist for failure to produce a fire permit when requested by a forest officer, read more here.

OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLES CAN START WILDFIRES

Quick tips on how you can prevent a wildfire while using an Off-highway vehicle:

Remove debris - keep your machine debris free by checking it before, during and after a ride.
Strategic parking - park your OHV on bare mineral soil if possible, do not park it in areas of dead, dry grass.
Exit and check - when possible, drive out on the path you drove in on. This will help you check for fires that may have started.

Whitecourt Area Update