Wildfires of note

July 8, 2022

Posted on Fri, Jul 08, 2022

There is one wildfire of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.

Fire number: MWF031

Status: Being held

Size: 24,365 hectares (ha)

Location: 21 km north of Fort Chipewyan

Infrastructure nearby: Remote cabins

Resources assigned: Incident Management Team, ignition specialist, structure protection specialist and crews, 41 firefighters, and six helicopters.

Comments:

Firefighters observed high fire behaviour on the northeastern boundary yesterday. The fire is burning on the northeastern flank, away from the community. The fire did reach Powder Creek and has likely reached the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary.

A crew of firefighters returned to Flett Lake to search for and extinguish hotspots near infrastructure. Another group of firefighters continued structure protection by deploying equipment such as pumps, hoses and sprinkler systems on buildings identified as being directly threatened by the wildfire. This work is expected to continue in the coming days. The structure protection plan is now complete for the community of Allison Bay. The protection plan for Fort Chipewyan, the airport and the airport road is still being drafted. 

Firefighters expect less intense fire behaviour today as temperatures are forecasted to be slightly lower tomorrow with higher humidity. Winds are expected to come from the southwest at 20 km/h and occasionally gusting to 35 km/h, which will push the wildfire away from the community towards the northeast. There is a chance of showers and thundershowers in the evening, which could lead to lightning in the area.

Firefighters and helicopters will continue to conduct indirect attack on the wildfire. Ignition activities were planned for strategic locations on the southwest boundary of the fire last night. The goal of the ignition is to tie the wildfire to natural fuel breaks to reduce the risk of the wildfire moving south. As part of that effort a containment line has been established along a natural break located between Flett Lake, Little Rapids and towards the boundary of Wood Buffalo National Park.

This information will be updated tomorrow by 11 a.m.


A wildfire of note is determined to be of significant public interest and may pose a threat to public safety, communities or critical infrastructure.

Wildfires of note do not typically include mutual aid wildfires located outside of the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Alberta Wildfire provides assistance on a mutual aid wildfire but is not the lead agency.


The Forest Protection Area of Alberta is divided into ten forest areas. Find the latest updates for each area or subscribe to receive them in your inbox. 

Calgary Forest Area 

Edson Forest Area 

Fort McMurray Forest Area 

Grande Prairie Forest Area 

High Level Forest Area 

Lac La Biche Forest Area 

Peace River Forest Area 

Rocky Mountain House Forest Area 

Slave Lake Forest Area 

Whitecourt Forest Area