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, SOCIAL MEDIA 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.
For road closure information, visit Alberta511 or download the app.
Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here
EWF031 appears to be quiet this afternoon however conditions may change later today as temperatures increase and humidity decreases. (June 11, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.).
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 for Yellowhead County and Town of Edson, contact the info line: 1-833-334-4630.
Visit our wildfire dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats.
NEW WILDFIRE STARTS
EWF067 was discovered on June 9. It is now under control and estimated to be 0.11 ha in size. The location of the fire is immediately north of the Cardinal River Road and approximately 2.2 km North of Muskiki Lake. The fire is located 7 km away from Grave Flats lookout tower. The other wildfires in that area have been heavily actioned and good progress has been made.
EWF063 and EWF062 were both discovered on June 8. They are located to the west of Muskiki Lake, south of the Cardinal River Road. EWF062 is currently being held at 0.2 ha and EWF063 is under control at 0.1 ha.
EWF069 was discovered June 9. It is now under control and estimated to be 0.30 ha in size. Two crews, heavy equipment and aircraft are working on this fire. The location of the fire is 2.8 km north of Emerson Creek Road and 4.2 km south of Amoco Road.
PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039, RWF034, RWF040
EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is located 18 km west of Lodgepole, 5 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 1.5 km south of Highway 16 near Edson. The fire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 204,284 ha in size.
There are 282 firefighters and support staff being shared between the Pembina Complex of fires. There are 68 pieces of heavy equipment, and 22 helicopters assigned to the complex. The international contingent of personnel dedicated to the Pembina Complex includes professionals from Australia, South Africa, United States, Alberta and B.C. Over the coming days, additional support and resources are expected to arrive in support of these ongoing incidents.
Primary objectives at the Pembina Complex remain first responder and public safety. The onsite Incident Management Team continues to work in conjunction with impacted communities and partners to coordinate response in areas where the wildfire is encroaching on values.
Over the last 48-hours with temperatures in the 30s and low relative humidity down to 20%, observed fire behaviour has been extreme. Organized flame fronts with fire burning into the tree canopies has resulted in substantial growth and mid-range spot fires ahead of the main fire front. Yesterday, overhead smoke and lighter winds tampered fire behaviour in some areas of the fire.
As anticipated, around 8:30 p.m. yesterday evening, a cold front tracked across the fire area bringing minimal amounts of precipitation and winds from the northwest to west. Overnight relative humidities went up to nearly 80% and anywhere from 5 to 15 mm of precipitation was received in different areas of the fire. Today, higher humidities around 45% and temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s will provide slight reprieve and rates of fire spread is anticipated to be significantly slower. This will provide allow an opportunity for ground personnel to re-establish their situational awareness in new areas of the fire where growth occurred over the past 48-hours.
Crew swing shifts have been established to allow for longer operational coverage on the fireline. Crews will now be working shifts from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. This allows crews to work late into the evening when the fire is less aggressive.
Aerial support, including fixed-wing retardant airtankers, water skimmers and helicopters were utilized ahead of advancing flame fronts along the northwest, north and southeast sides of the fire yesterday. Aerial resources will continue to support ground personnel as required.
The north edge of the fire has grown beyond McLeod River and is continuing to grow in the direction of Highway 16. Wildland firefighters and structural firefighters will continue to work along the Highway 16 and Highway 47 corridors to protect values adjacent to the fire. This includes the protection of power poles and working with local industry to ensure critical infrastructure is maintained. Crews are continuing to work with Yellowhead County and the Town of Edson to patrol and set up structure protection as required ahead of the fire.
The northwest finger of the fire has grown beyond Highway 47 and has reached Fickle Lake. Yesterday and today, the newly arrived hot shot crew from the United States will be working in this area to support suppression efforts. This morning, airtankers and skimmers helped to slow fire spread in the Fickle Lake area to ensure ground personnel safety.
Yesterday, west of Highway 753, heavy equipment bolstered control lines to the east of the fire. Crews also worked to strengthen the containment line from Tidewater Road moving south towards the Brazeau Reservoir. A heavy equipment task force also completed a new containment line adjacent to the Brazeau Reservoir where 50 ha grew beyond control lines. This area of the fire was supported by skimmers and crews will continue to work towards containment in this area of the fire today.
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 Friday, approximately 150 ha of fire crossed control lines 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 of the fire today. The northwest tip of the fire had approximately 30 additional hectares grow beyond containment lines yesterday. Personnel will be working towards containment in this area of the fire today, supported by aerial resources as required. All other containment lines have held, but smoke will continue to be produced within the fire perimeter. Crews will continue to address active areas within 100 ft of the fire perimeter.
RWF040 is being 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. Infrared scans continue to be completed to help identify residual heat and help crews identify areas to target to ensure full extinguishment to 100 ft into the fire beyond the control lines.
.jpg?width=480&height=640&name=RCX-001%2023%20Ops%20Meeting%20June%2010%20(002).jpg)
Pembina Complex leadership staff receive an operational briefing in the evening of June 10, 2023.
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 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.
Relatively more hot spots than earlier this week became active on WCU001 and WCU002 yesterday, but firefighters actively worked alongside bucketing helicopters to promptly action them. Work continued to be done north of Wildwood west of highway 22. Firefighters wrapped up the work they were doing alongside the high-volume pump at the cattle field in this area yesterday. Fire crews and heavy equipment were also working near Range Road 91 on WCU001. They began working on the north end of Range Road 91 earlier this week and continue moving southward, making good progress.
A reminder that deep ash pits and burning peat are dangerous. We continue to ask residents to be extra cautious near burnt areas.
We also ask residents to avoid venturing into forested areas that have been recently affected by wildfire as they can present other hazards such as falling trees, as a result of root systems being compromised by fire.
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 19,672 ha yesterday. 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 pushed smoke and fire spread towards the northwest for the last few days. As a result, we have seen some growth on the southwest side of the perimeter, including one very small area that has made its way northwest across McLeod River. This spot can be seen on the new perimeter available for viewing on the Dashboard, and is located west of the junction of East Bank Road and Range Road 132. Firefighters worked in this area yesterday and today using pumps and hose and made good progress with fire suppression.
Despite higher relative humidity and some precipitation on the Deep Creek Complex today, higher temperatures and winds are expected to increase again in the upcoming days. Firefighters continue to work alongside heavy equipment in several areas on this fire.
Woodlands County has issued an evacuation alert to some of its residents for a southern portion of their county. See the Alberta Emergency Alerts website for details and developments: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx
Woodlands County Fire Department continues to install structural protection on properties within the alert area as a precautionary measure.
Yellowhead County Fire Department with Alberta Wildfire continues 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.
Smoke is heavy in the area, this is expected to continue for the coming days.
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 Australia, British Columbia, South Africa and dedicated Alberta Wildfire staff on the Deep Creek Complex.
Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here.
By: Sarah Hall, Pembina Complex. Wildfire Information Officer, BC Wildfire Service
For information related to the Pembina Wildfire Complex and the Deep Creek Wildfire Complex please contact: 780-728-5843.
Heavy equipment were working as quickly as possible building new containment on Friday June 9, 2023, working ahead of EWF031. *To view the video, open in the app or webpage.
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 remains out of control and was estimated to be 12,073 ha. 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. Today, firefighters anticipate that the cold front will shift the winds sometime this afternoon and push the fire towards the south.
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:
