Edson Area Update

Edson Forest Area Wildfire Update - May 10, 2022

Posted on Tue, May 10, 2022

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Dry grass can catch easily and burn quickly. Areas of exposed dry grass and fine fuels are a concern and any spark, friction or hot exhaust can easily start a wildfire even when the temperatures are cooler.

Ensure you adhere to your burn permit, never burn in windy conditions and always extinguish your campfire.

If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.

17 May 10 Engine Touch a Truck EventOur wildfire engine was on display at the Touch a Truck event hosted by the Edson Leap Society this weekend. The engine is specially designed for wildland firefighters. The size allows it to access most forestry roads, equipped with over 500 feet of fire hose and can hold up to 2,000 liters of water. Its downfall - it couldn't compete with the police and fire truck sirens!


EDSON FOREST AREA FIRE DANGER RATING

The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area is now LOW due to cooler temperatures and recent precipitation. 


CADOMIN FIRESMART WORK BEE & COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

The Cadomin Community Society in partnership with AB Wildfire & Yellowhead County invite the members of Cadomin to take part in removing combustible debris to help reduce the impacts of a potential wildfire, and do a general clean up of the community!

Join us at the INFORMATION STATION on Saturday May 21 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the CADOMIN FIRE HALL to learn how you can help. We'll have paper or plastic bags and gloves available. We encourage you to join us early and learn about resources and available assistance for the event.

Waste disposal dumpsters will be provided by Yellowhead County in the Hamlet of Cadomin for the May Long Weekend on May 21, 22 & 23 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Be advised that an attendant will be on-site to assist with the coordination of the waste collection during these times. No metal waste (fridges, dryers, etc) will be accepted. Garbage and materials from outside the hamlet will not be accepted. Waste will not be received before the weekend.


INFRARED SCANNING TESTING | HINTON | May 6 - 27, 2022

Infrared scanning (IR) is one of many tools that we use to help fight wildfire by locating hotspots effectively and quickly. Once the flames of the wildfire have diminished, the fire can continue to smoulder into the ground for days or even weeks. Firefighters must find these hotspots and ensure they are dug out. This is often done by hand or with heavy equipment. They are then properly extinguished with water to ensure they don't re-surface later and become another wildfire.

Starting May 6 until May 27, drones, airplanes and helicopters will be flying in the Hinton area, testing their infrared scanning equipment in the very early morning and late into the night. The operators of these machines are private contractors hired by Alberta Wildfire and are evaluated on their accuracy, during both day and night.

The tests will be conducted over a pre-set grid system over the Cache Percotte forest, located south of the Town of Hinton. Twenty firefighters will be assisting with these tests during the month, positioning infrared targets that are propane operated, for the equipment to find.


FIRE PERMITS

Wildfire season in Alberta is from March 1 until October 31. During wildfire season, you are required to have a fire permit if you plan on burning in the Forest Protection Area, with the exception of a campfire. To request your free fire permit, contact the local forest area: (780) 723-8527 or you can request your permit using the new, convenient online fire permit portal.

We ask that you plan ahead, there may be delays for a forest officer to visit your site. For more information regarding fire permits, you can view our video by clicking here.


EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2022, there have been 34 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 31.98 ha.

PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2022 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 182 wildfires burning a total of 412.84 ha.

To view the wildfires on a map, check out the new wildfire dashboard. It provides up-to-date wildfire information at the click of a button. This interactive tool displays important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more.


WILDFIRE PREVENTION TIPS

Albertans are always asked to use caution when working or recreating in the outdoors:

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 ALBERTA WILDFIRE INFORMATION

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For more information, please contact:

Caroline Charbonneau
Wildfire Information Officer | Edson Forest Area
Cell:  780-740-1341
caroline.charbonneau@gov.ab.ca 
 
Caroline Button High Qua
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