Due to increased wildfire activity on many wildfires in our area, community leaders are advising residents to be prepared and pay attention.
Please do not report smoke or flame from within an active wildfire area. Firefighters are being diverted from essential tasks when responding to existing fires reported by the public. You may see smoke or flame within the existing boundary of a wildfire, this is normal.
If you see smoke or flame outside of an active fire area, report it to 310-FIRE. If you or your property is in immediate danger, call 911.
Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here
Over 200 South African firefighters arrived this week and are working on both the Deep Creek and Pembina Complexes. This photo was taken yesterday when a flare up within the interior appeared. (June 7, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.).
BE PREPARED & PAY ATTENTION
Click here for tools to help you be prepared.
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AN AB WILDFIRE INFORMATION OFFICER WILL BE AVAILBLE AROUND 8 P.M AT THE PEERS MULTIPLEX UNTIL DARK TODAY - JUNE 8, 2023.
NEW WILDFIRE DETECTIONS
There were 66 wildfire reports that came to our Edson Forest Area center and only one was a new wildfire yesterday. Although we appreciate the assistance from the public and often rely on 310-FIRE reports, we ask that you only report new wildfires that are not in an existing wildfire area. Please assume that we are aware of large columns of smoke.
Today, firefighters responded to four new wildfires (EWF060, 061, 062, 063) which are now either being held or out of control actioned by firefighters.
Visit our wildfire dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats.
PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039, RWF034, RWF040
There are 238 firefighters and incident management team (IMT) support staff being shared between all fires on the Complex. There are 65 pieces of heavy equipment, and 21 helicopters assigned to the complex. An airtanker group is available to respond if necessary.
EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is located 25 km west of Lodgepole, 20 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 14 km southeast of Edson. The fire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 130,762 ha in size.
Over the next 72 hours, sustained extreme wildfire behaviour will be occurring throughout areas of EWF031. Currently, southeast winds are pushing fire behaviour in a northwest direction and challenging containment lines. Areas of increased activity on the east flank include the northeast tip, just west of Wolf Creek (approximately 13 kilometers from the Town of Edson), the area just north of Minnow Lake, and the area just west of Rat Creek. The west flank has also been extremely active today. Approximately 10 kilometres east of the Sundance Road the fire perimeter has crossed dozer guard and personnel in the area have withdrawn due to safety concerns. As fire behaviour increases, crews are continuing to be repositioned in areas where they can safely work.
A strong cold front will be arriving this Saturday evening, June 10, which will bring erratic northwest winds to the area which is anticipated to increase fire behaviour along the east flank of the fire.
Personnel are conducting planned ignition operations on areas of the fire that are presenting favourable conditions to strengthen containment lines. When unburned pockets of fuel remain within the fire perimeter they pose a risk for potential spotting beyond containment lines. By utilizing planned ignition operations, aerial and ground support resources are able to take advantage of conditions that allow them to remove available fuel adjacent to existing containment line. Should these unburned fuels ignite naturally under adverse wind conditions, ground resources may be challenged.
South African firefighters are conducting controlled burns on the east side to prevent further spread.
EWF039 located near Carrot Creek, is currently being held. The fire is currently estimated to be 165 ha. The fire is fully wrapped in containment line and is a kilometer away from the Carrot Creek lookout tower. The Lookout staff will keep watch over the area.
RWF034 is located near the O'Chiese Reserve and classified as out of control. The fire is currently estimated at 87,108 ha in size.
On the south side of RWF034 along the Brazeau River, dozer guard construction was completed on Sunday. Crews are supporting the guard and monitoring conditions working south along the west flank.
Today, personnel working on containment line on the west flank of the fire working in the north direction were withdrawn for safety concerns though no immediate threat was present. Operations will be reevaluated over the coming days. The majority of the containment line will be pre-existing roads.
RWF040 The fire is actively monitored by firefighters and support staff assigned to the complex who can respond if necessary. The fire is currently estimated to be 5,089 ha in size and remains classified as out of control. Containment line was completed a couple of days ago around the east, south, and west sides of the fire. Crews will continue working from the Blackstone River clockwise around the fire perimeter. Crews are actively supporting the guard with the installation of water systems which includes hose and pumps.
The onsite Incident Management Team is continuing to collaborate with all partners and communities within the vicinity of this wildfire to ensure public safety.
To view previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here.
By: Sarah Hall, Pembina Complex. Wildfire Information Officer, BC Wildfire Service.
DEEP CREEK WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF035, WCU001, WCU002
WCU001 was detected on April 29 and remains classified as out of control. The wildfire is estimated to be 6,284 ha, no new growth has been recorded outside the fire perimeter. The wildfire zone is located southeast of Entwistle and west over the Pembina River where it spread north and travelled over Highway 16. The wildfire is parallel with Highway 16 and moved further west where it spread just north of Wildwood and now rests at Chip Lake.
WCU002 was detected on the evening of April 29 and is a mutual aid wildfire located on both sides of Highway 22, north of Highway 16. The wildfire’s status remains out of control. It is estimated to be 2,478 ha.
EWF035 was detected on May 5. The northern portion of the fire is located 2 km east of Shining Bank Lake, reaching north and east across Township Road 560 and as far south as approximately 2 km north of the Niton Junction railway. This wildfire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 19,567 ha. The wildfire is south of Township Road 570, has burnt down to the south and continues to a site two kilometers north of the railroad track in Niton Junction. The fire moved across the Range Road 123 and burnt up to the Lobstick River.
There is increased fire behavior on EWF035 this afternoon. Significant smoke can be seen mostly on the west side of the fire as the temperature has risen to 26 degrees this afternoon. Moderate easterly winds are pushing smoke towards the west. Gusts of up to 40 km/h are possible. Firefighters are actively working on areas of the fire that are seeing increased activity while helicopters can be seen dropping water where smoke and flames are most prominent. The potential for increased fire behavior will continue to build throughout the end of this week with temperatures forecasted to reach the 30-degree mark by Saturday. There is no precipitation in the forecast for the next two days.
An evacuation order as well as an evacuation alert have been issued for select residents on the west side of EWF035 this afternoon. Specific details about the areas affected can be found on the Yellowhead County website at Alerts & Notices - Yellowhead County (yhcounty.ca) or their Facebook Page.
Work continues to be done north of Wildwood west of highway 22 to flood heavily peated areas on fires WCU001/002. A high-volume pump is set up at the Cattle Farm on the west side of highway 22, working to flood peat areas. Firefighters are working in conjunction with the high-volume pump using 1.5” hose to nozzle water deep into the peat as they work with handtools, pumps and hose at this location. Firefighters and heavy equipment working near Range Road 91.
There are 116 firefighters assigned to the Deep Creek Complex, six helicopters, 40 pieces of heavy equipment and 34 overhead staff that are part of the incident management team and crew supervision. An incident management team from Ontario with members from Alberta is working alongside overhead staff and firefighters from Prince Edward Island, Australia, British Columbia, United States, South Africa and dedicated Alberta Wildfire staff on the Deep Creek Complex.
New information regarding the Deep Creek Complex will be available later this evening. Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here.
By: Isabelle Chenard. Wildfire Information Officer, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Contact: 780-728-5843.
WILD HAY WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF037 and EWF040
The Wild Hay Complex is comprised of two wildfires, EWF037 and EWF040. They are both located south of the Little Smoky River, north of the Wild Hay River and east of Hwy 40 north. The complex is 63 km north of Hinton. EWF040 is producing a lot of smoke that can be seen from far away, including from Hinton.
EWF040 is now out of control and now estimated to be 944 ha and growing, it escaped its wildfire boundary yesterday is burning north north-west from it's original area and has crossed the the Berland River.
EWF037 continues to be classified as being held at 578 ha.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON WILDFIRES IN OUR AREA
AREA CHALLENGES | This has been an unprecedented wildfire season; one that has resulted in many challenges for wildfire staff across the province. In response Alberta has been working with our partners to meet the demands for personnel and equipment needed to fight the numerous wildfires we have seen this spring. In the Edson Forest Area we currently have crews and support staff from all over Canada and the world, including U.S.A., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, B.C., P.E.I., Newfoundland and Ontario.
WORK OR RECREATE NEAR WILDFIRE AREAS | We urge residents and members of the public to use extra caution near burnt areas. There are many hazards that may not be visible, like deep burning ash pits and falling trees. Burnt trees are a serious hazard, and trees that may look healthy that have green needles or leaves could have burnt out roots under the ground and fall unexpectedly. Keep in mind that trees and powerlines could also fall on the road and block your vehicle. Do not approach powerlines as they could be energized.
SMOKE | Lingering smoke can still be visible in some areas and in affected communities. Smoke inversions can trap air near the ground causing dangerous driving conditions and impacting nearby communities. If you have smoke related health concerns, please contact Alberta 811 or visit Alberta Health Services . Visit firesmoke.ca for current and forecasted smoke.
REPORTING WILDFIRES | We always appreciate people calling in to report wildfires but the large volume of calls we are receiving could be diverting our resources away from other essential tasks. As always, call 310-FIRE if you see smoke or flame that looks new and potentially unreported, but assume that large columns of smoke and burned over areas have already been detected and reported. If you or your property are in immediate danger, call 911.
AIRCRAFT NEAR WATER | Depending on the location of a wildfire, firefighting aircraft may need to use water from nearby lakes as a source of water to help fight wildfires. Often, these aircraft arrive without advanced warning. If you are in the water and see an aircraft coming in to collect water, please move within 30 m from the shore so these aircraft can safely resume firefighting efforts. Aircraft are large and require space to collect water, without interference from people and boats. Help us by staying out of the way when aircraft are around. Click here to learn more.
DRONES | The use of recreational drones over wildfires in Alberta is dangerous, illegal and could result in a fine of up to $15,000* for putting aircraft and people at risk. Please give Alberta firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. *Transport Canada
WILDFIRE PREPARDNESS | Learn how you can prepare yourself for a wildfire by clicking here.
WILDFIRE INVESTIGATIONS | Wildfires in Alberta are either human-caused or caused by lightning. Every wildfire in Alberta is investigated and the wildfires mentioned remain under investigation.
WILDFIRE CLASSIFICATIONS | To learn more about wildfire classifications, click here.
WILDFIRE MAPS AND BOUNDARIES | Note that wildfire perimeter maps are an estimate based on measurements such as GPS, aerial scanning and satellite imagery. This estimated perimeter can change as more accurate measurements become available. Areas within the fire perimeter may not have been affected by wildfire. Visit our Wildfire Dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats on the wildfire dashboard. Click on "view interactive map". You can choose different basemaps by selecting the four squares icon, or layers by clicking on the three sheets of paper on the top right corner.
**Bold indicates new or important information.
We encourage the public and industry to download the AB Fire Bans app or visit the website to learn more about prohibited and allowed actives under this restriction. If you are looking for information regarding crown land, click on the area you plan to visit and not the nearest town. Be advised that Alberta Parks has it's own set of fire ban levels, please visit their website for more information.
The fire restriction will remain in effect until conditions improve. To view the Alberta Wildfire Fire Ban video, click here.
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.
- For road closure information, please visit 511.alberta.ca
- For information regarding smoke in the area, you can visit firesmoke.ca
- NASA FIRMS Fire Information website is a great resource to give an idea of the location of wildfires in the area, but note that the data is based on interpolation and often can make the wildfire look larger then it actually is.
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:
