The current wildfire danger in the Calgary Forest Area (CFA) is LOW. With cool seasonal temperatures and snow remaining on the ground in most areas, the wildfire danger should remain low in the short term. It is too early to predict the severity of the 2024 season, as the greatest impact will be from late season snowfall and early spring rainfall amounts.
WILDFIRE SEASON STARTS FEBRUARY 20
Alberta’s wildfire season is starting early this year, on February 20. This means that fire permits will be required for burning within the Forest Protection Area, except for a campfire. The early start is due to the drought conditions occurring in many areas of the province, which could lead to elevated fire danger if we do not receive significant rain in the spring.
Please do your part to help prevent human caused wildfires by using caution in forested areas. Now’s the time to go back and check on any winter burn projects to make sure they are fully extinguished. Stay informed of fire restrictions and fire bans in your area by checking Alberta Firebans.
FIRE PERMITS
Starting today, fire permits are required for any burning, except campfires, in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Fire permits help us to track what is burning on the landscape. If you're burning without a fire permit or outside fire permit conditions, your fire is considered a wildfire. By getting a permit you help keep our firefighters free to fight real wildfires instead of responding to the smoke from your brush piles. Fire permits are free and can be requested from the Calgary Forest Area main office by calling 403-297-8800 or online. To request a fire permit online, visit our fire permit webpage. You will need a MyAlberta Digital ID to access the portal.
Remember to revisit any winter burn piles. If they are still active please contact us as soon as possible.
WILDFIRE SEASON PREPARATIONS
Preparations for the 2024 wildfire season across the province are well underway. Improvements have been made to wildfire prevention, preparedness, response and mitigation efforts. Some key initiatives for the 2024 wildfire season include: hiring additional sustained action crews, extending operational hours, increasing the number of incident management teams, enhancing the use of night vision helicopters and expanding the emergency firefighter program.
In the CFA, the first wave of our seasonal wildland firefighters are fitness testing and onboarding this week. Over the coming weeks and months, additional staff will be commencing and aircraft and additional facilities will be coming online.
WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION THIS WILDFIRE SEASON
Download the Alberta Wildfire app today and get access to accurate, real-time information on wildfires in your area and across the Forest Protection Area.
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Bookmark albertafirebans.ca or download the Alberta Fire Bans app to access information on fire advisories, fire restrictions and fire bans in effect across the province.
MORE INFORMATION:
Anastasia Drummond
403-818-0938
anastasia.drummond@gov.ab.ca
RELATED INFORMATION
Websites:
- Alberta Wildfire
- Alberta Fire Bans
- FireSmart in Alberta
- Alberta Emergency Alerts
- Air Quality Health Index
- Wildfire Smoke and Your Health
- 511 Road Reports
- Emergency Preparation
Social Media:
