Due to very hot and dry conditions, there is increased wildfire activity on many wildfires in our area. Community leaders are advising residents to BE PREPARED AND PAY ATTENTION.
EVACUATION ORDERS AND ALERTS ARE IN EFFECT WITHIN THE EDSON FOREST AREA. VISIT YOUR COMMUNITY WEBPAGE AND ALBERTA EMERGENCY ALERT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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
An Australia crew receiving an operational briefing for their night operations (June 9, 2023).
BE PREPARED & PAY ATTENTION
MESSAGE FROM YOUR COMMUNITIES
For information on evacuation alerts and orders, please visit Alberta Emergency Alert or visit www.edson.ca and www.yhcounty.ca and their social media pages for updates. All residents are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert app. For evacuation information, contact the info line: 1-833-334-4630.
EVACUATION ORDER - Yellowhead County and Town of Edson have issued an Evacuation Order for the Town of Edson and parts of Yellowhead County.
Due to increased fire activity, fires are becoming increasingly unpredictable. These fires are moving closer to more populated areas including the Town of Edson. Fires have jumped fire guards. There could be impacts to roads and highways as the fire crosses blocking off points of egress for evacuation. The reception centre is the Edmonton Expo Centre.
For those affected, evacuate immediately. For those with no transportation call 1-833-334-4630 for assistance.
Wildfire prep checklist www.alberta.ca/emergency-preparedness.aspx
Visit our wildfire dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats.
Red glow from the flames of EWF031 could be seen last night near midnight from the Edson Provincial Building where AB Wildfire is located (June 10. 2023 at 11:30 p.m.).
PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039, RWF034, RWF040
UPDATED- JUNE 10, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is located 20 km west of Lodgepole, 5 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 5 km south of Edson. The fire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 130,762 ha in size. The dashboard shows the new estimated perimeter of the wildfire but the size is inaccurate at this time while we work on a more detailed size.
There are 224 firefighters and support staff being shared between the Pembina Complex. There are 66 pieces of heavy equipment, and 24 helicopters assigned to the complex.
Similar conditions as yesterday are forecast on site EWF031, with gusty winds sustained from the southeast 25 km/hr gusting upwards of 45 km/hr fire growth was primarily in the northwest and west direction. Extreme fire behaviour is again anticipated on the north, northwest and west flanks of the fire today. Growth over the past 24 hours has been a result of sustained winds, dry fuels, temperatures into the 30s and low relative humidities. Firefighting under these conditions is extremely dangerous and crews will only be working in areas where it is safe to do so. Aerial support, including fixed-wing retardant airtankers, water skimmers and helicopters will be utilized ahead of growing flame fronts. As the situation remains unstable, top priorities on-site today are first responder and public safety.
Yesterday, the north edge of the fire grew over 18 km towards Highway 16. Late last evening, the fire spotted north across the McLeod River. Through the night, an Australian contingent of firefighters worked with Yellowhead County structure protection to patrol and set up structure protection throughout the community of Ansell. Today, crews will continue to work with the County and the Town of Edson to assess and protect properties ahead of the fire.
A heavy equipment task force, including 11 dozers and an excavator worked through the night last night with line locators to begin cleaning up a pre-existing fuel-free area that could help to contain the north edge of the fire. Today, as visibility allows, aerial suppression support will be utilized along the north section of the fire to slow the advancing front of fire.
Yesterday, pushed by southeast winds, the west side of the fire grew 31 km further west. The fire grew beyond Sundance Road, just east of Erith River and continued across Highway 47. The western side of the fire has reached Fickle Lake and continues to grow in the northwest direction. This morning, airtankers and skimmers are operating in the Fickle Lake area to slow fire growth. This area of the fire is predominantly burning through spruce, which under these extreme conditions, spreads extremely quickly.
On the east side of the fire, fire crossed control lines in multiple areas. On the southeast corner, approximately 50 ha of fire crossed containment lines. The fire crossed the Elk River Road just north of the Brazeau Reservoir. Given the topographical features influenced by the Brazeau Dam, winds from the southwest are challenging containment in this area of the fire. The primary concern with these wind patterns is that the fire may continue to cross containment lines and grow into thick spruce that could threaten values further southeast. A heavy equipment task force is working to build a new containment line to the southeast.
Today, the biggest anticipated challenge for personnel will be reduced visibility and extreme fire behaviour along all sides of the fire. This evening, a forecast cold front is anticipated to bring gusty sustained winds from the west which will further challenge the eastern flank.
Resources will continue to be reassigned to areas of the fire where they can safely work. Due to significant safety risk crews will be withdrawn from areas of the displaying an organized flame front.
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.
Approximately 150 hectares of fire crossed control lines yesterday on the east side of the Brazeau Reservoir adjacent to Sunchild Road. There is no threat to values at this time and crews will continue to work in this area today. The northwest tip of the fire had approximately 50 hectares grow beyond containment lines yesterday. Firefighters will be assessing that area of the fire today with additional help from aerial support.
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. An infrared scan was completed over this fire yesterday to identify any hotspots in the area. Crews will continue to targets any remaining hotspots for this fire.
The onsite Incident Management Team is continuing to collaborate with all partners and communities within the vicinity of this wildfire to ensure public safety.
New information on this complex will be available later today. 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
AS OF JUNE 9, 2023 - 10:00 p.m.
WCU001 was detected on April 29 and remains classified as out of control. The wildfire is estimated to be 6,284 hectares, 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 hectares.
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 has been remapped by GIS at 18,864 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.
Moderate to high winds with significant gusts were pushing smoke and fire spread generally towards the northwest for most of the day. The skies are smoky once again tonight over the Deep Creek Complex.
Windy, hot and dry weather in the Edson Forest Management Area of the Deep Creek Complex fires are leading to high fire activity on EWF035. Columns of smoke were visible this afternoon near the west flank south of the Township Road 560, and near the east flank, though less prominent. Moderate to high winds with significant gusts were pushing smoke and fire spread generally towards the northwest for most of the day. The skies are smoky once again tonight over the Deep Creek Complex.
Fire suppression aircraft were on the site of EWF035 this morning dropping long term retardant around the areas of the fire that were the most active yesterday (on the western flank south of Township Road 560). Among the were 802’s, an Electra and a Q400.
Hot dry weather is expected to continue into tomorrow with temperatures forecasted to reach 30 degrees. A cold front will be moving into the area Saturday evening. We are expecting a wind shift from southeast to northwest as a result. There is no precipitation in the forecast until late Saturday evening.
As a precautionary measure, Yellowhead County Fire Department with Alberta Wildfire continue to triage residences with regard to the need for structural protection and are continuing to install sprinklers on some residences north of Niton.
Firefighters continue to actively work on areas of the fire that are seeing increased activity while helicopters can be seen dropping water where smoke and flames are most prominent.
Fire behaviour typically increases during the “peak burning period”. This is normally mid-afternoon, when temperatures are hottest and relative humidity drops. Fire activity tends to slow down in the morning and late evenings when temperatures are cooler and humidity levels are higher.
There are 110 firefighters assigned to the Deep Creek Complex, six helicopters, 40 pieces of heavy equipment and 36 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, South Africa and dedicated Alberta Wildfire staff on the Deep Creek Complex.
New information will be available again this afternoon. 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 2,389 ha and growing, it escaped its wildfire boundary on June 7 and is burning mostly to north-northwest from its original area and has crossed the the Berland River and is now burning in both our forest area and the Whitecourt Forest Area.
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:
