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.
Do not burn in windy conditions and always adhere to the conditions of your permit. Dry grass and fine debris can catch easily and burn very quickly. Any spark, friction or hot exhaust can easily start a wildfire.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
The night operations helicopter was used yesterday evening to bucket water over the wildfire. There are no new photos of the wildfire this morning, the valley is fogged in and visibility is poor.
EDSON FOREST AREA FIRE DANGER RATING
The wildfire danger remains LOW due to cooler daytime temperatures and recent precipitation in the Edson Forest Area. To view the fire danger forecast map, click here.
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022, there have been 76 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 47.22 ha.
NEW WILDFIRE DETECTIONS
EWF075 was reported by a member of the public yesterday and continues to burn out of control approximately 24 km southwest of Grande Cache. The fire is now estimated to be 6.0 ha in size. The residents of Grande Cache and surrounding communities may notice smoke coming from the Smoky River valley.
Yesterday, five firefighters and two helicopters assisted with bucket operations and built a helipad to allow firefighters to access the wildfire. Two Electra airtankers successfully surrounded the perimeter of the fire to help contain the spread.
Late in the evening, the wildfire escaped the retardant line and increased in size. The fire is currently burning mid-slope in very dry, dead fuels. The wildfire behaviour was higher then normally expected as dead fuels generally don’t hold moisture very well and wind speeds were up to 20 km/h.
Later into the evening and overnight, a night operation helicopter worked to bucket water on the wildfire. This season, night operations are being tested for viability in Alberta. The pilot and a staff member have night vision goggles that amplify light 60,000 times, which allows them to see flames and drop suppressant or water on the wildfire. AB Wildfire firefighters often work during the night when the conditions allow, this is the first year we've tested air operation firefighting during the night.
Today, 18 firefighters from the Edson Unit Crew will be working with one helicopter to continue with the efforts to extinguish the fire once the fog clears and visibility increases.
This wildfire does not threaten any community at this time and was determined to be caused by lightning. To learn more about the classification of wildfires, please click here.
EWF075 is located 24 km southwest of Grande Cache.
EWF075 as of 7:00 p.m. yesterday evening.
EWF076 was reported yesterday by a member of the public and is now classified as extinguished. The wildfire was located 47 km northwest of Edson along the Athabasca River and 3 km from the Emerson (A road). It was 0.05 ha in size and determined to be caused by lightning.
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.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 916 wildfires burning a total of 115,900 ha.
FIRESMART VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IN ROBB & CADOMIN
Be advised that AB Wildfire crews will be working in the Robb and Cadomin area starting August 17 until the end of August. The crews will be pruning, thinning and doing general clean up and maintenance of existing FireSmart vegetation blocks. Firefighters will possibly be doing some pile burning so residents may see or smell smoke in the area.
FIRESMART EDUCATION PROGRAMS
People living in forested areas need to be aware of the threat of wildfire, and actions they can take to make their homes and neighbourhoods FireSmart.
FireSmart Canada has developed educational programs to help homeowners get started. To learn more about these tools and programs, visit their website: firesmartcanada.ca/programs/.
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.
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:
