Jasper National Park’s fire management specialists are preparing to ignite the 29-hectare Razorback unit near the Jasper Townsite.
Help keep Alberta's forest safe and ensure you fully extinguish your campfire. Soak the ashes, stir them and soak them again until they're cool to the touch. Never leave your campfire unattended.
Dry grass can catch easily and burn very 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.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
AB Wildfire detected several escaped and abandoned campfires over the long weekend. Do your part, ensure your campfire is in a safe location away from dry grass. Never leave it unattended and always properly extinguish your campfire.
EDSON FOREST AREA FIRE DANGER RATING
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area is now HIGH due to warmer temperatures and a decrease in moisture.
A MESSAGE FROM JASPER NATIONAL PARK
PRESCRIBED BURN | Thursday May 26, 2022
Jasper National Park’s fire management specialists are preparing to ignite the 29-hectare Razorback unit, one of seven units that make up the Douglas-fir Hillsides prescribed fire.
The Razorback unit is located less than 1 km northwest of town, along Mina Lake; (see map for details by clicking on link below). If weather and burning conditions are met, the operation will begin in the afternoon of Thursday, May 26, 2022 and is expected to be completed within the day.
Fire specialists will first establish fireguards and then, when the weather is right, they will ignite the prescribed area to remove woody debris. Monitoring and mop-up activities will extend for several days following the burn.
Extensive planning has been completed to prepare for this prescribed fire. Planning for prescribed fire includes outlining the specific conditions – weather, forest fuel, firefighting equipment and personnel – necessary to safely meet the objectives of the project. If these conditions are not met, prescribed fire operations will be rescheduled.
A fire information trailer will be set up at the Old Firehall, at the corner of Elm and Patricia Street starting at 2 pm on Thursday, May 26, 2022.
For more information, click here to view the newsletter by Jasper National Park.
CAMPFIRE SAFETY
Now that the area is nearly snow free, many Albertans are out enjoying the outdoors. We would like to share some important reminders to help keep our forests safe:
BUILD IN A SAFE LOCATION
A campfire should be built on level ground near water and should be sheltered from the wind. If water is not nearby, keep a large pail already filled with water within reach. Under the right conditions, wind can pick up sparks or embers and ignite a wildfire.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAMPFIRE UNATTENDED
Whether you are going to bed, going out for a short hike or heading home, your campfire must be fully extinguished before you leave.
PROPERLY EXTINGUISH YOUR CAMPFIRE
You must soak the ashes with water, stir it with a shovel or large stick and soak the ashes again. Continue to do this until the ashes are cool to the touch. Your campfire can re-ignite if not properly extinguished, especially if there is wind, and could start a wildfire.
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. 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.
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 41 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 35 ha.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 235 wildfires burning a total of 457 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:
- Before you burn it, get your fire permit. Fire permits in Alberta.
- Clear debris from hot spots on your off-highway vehicle.
- Ensure your campfire is out - soak it, stir it, soak it again.
- Before you head out this weekend, check out the albertafirebans.ca website or download the app to stay informed.
ALBERTA WILDFIRE INFORMATION
- Subscribe to the Edson Forest Area wildfire update to receive an email when new information is posted.
- Download the Alberta Wildfire App for Apple and Android device.
- Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
For more information, please contact:
