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, downed powerlines and falling trees.
From Yellowhead County | An Emergency Alert is being issued for all of Yellowhead County regarding the severe weather conditions affecting the area. We are experiencing heavy rainfall resulting in overland flooding, snow accumulation, fallen powerlines, and in some areas, power outages. Please take immediate action to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you, including livestock.
For information regarding river flooding, visit rivers.alberta.ca
Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here.
Incidents require a lot of planning and documentation. We embrace both old and new technology but the right pen is what makes a difference when writing in your log book. June 2023
NEW WILDFIRE STARTS
Visit our wildfire dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats.
UNDERSTANDING WILDFIRE BEHAVIOUR
AB Wildfire shares important information with municipal fire departments and community leaders on a daily basis, we work together closely to ensure you are safe in your community. It can be difficult to explain the complexity of these wildfires to the public but we are committed to continue to informing all communities about fire prevention, FireSmart and fire operations when there's a wildfire of significance in our area.
There are many factors that affect a wildfire and its growth, such as the wind, temperature and the forest fuel moisture conditions. You may have seen the Forestry fire danger signs that are posted around your communities, along highway 16 and the Edson Forestry warehouse. We set the fire danger based on a number of factors, including the Fire Weather Index (FWI). The FWI is derived from data collected daily at various weather and includes observations of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and 24-hour precipitation. The FWI is a system used across Canada to quantify the fire hazard based on Forest Fuel moisture, temperature, relative humidity and forecasted winds.
Wildfires generally smoulder on and in the ground with very little open flame on low to moderate fire activity days. Creeping surface fire with open flame and the occasional torching tree is typical fire behaviour on moderate days. The days where the fire "picked up" and "took off" were on days when the fire danger was very high to extreme. Today, the fire danger is low in our forest area and is anticipated to stay low for the next 72 hours. That means that the fire will mostly smoulder in the ground and will have a hard time burning the available fuel on the forest floor. You may still see smoke and even steam from hotspots in the ground. You can view the provincial wildfire danger map and learn more about how to interpret fire danger by clicking here.
In the coming weeks, the fire danger will climb again and the wildfires in our area will become more active. Follow the advice of your community leaders, be prepared and pay attention to the directions that are given. We do not anticipate wildfire growth until the fire danger reaches high or very high.
HOW IS EWF031 LOOKING THIS WEEK?
Crews and personnel have been busy supporting operations for the Pembina Complex fires. Aerial resources, like the helicopter shown in the video can be used in many ways. This helicopter was putting out a hotspot that had the potential to spread. Although the video shows a lack of wildfire activity, wildfires can quickly become active again if conditions are hot and dry enough.
Fires often burn inconsistently and leave plenty of unburned fuel behind. This provides an opportunity for firefighters to get close to the perimeter, put out hotspots and reinforce the containment lines.
This video shows EWF031 Saturday which was relatively quiet, the fire danger was low to moderate. In the video you will notice some recognizable features such as the McLeod River, Highway 47 and Carrot Creek Tower (June 18, 2023). **to view this video, open the update in the app or webpage.
EDSON FOREST AREA | PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039
**Bold indicates new or important information.
UNDERSTANDING WILDFIRE CLASSIFICATIONS | When firefighters classify a wildfire as OUT OF CONTROL, it means that the wildfire is burning and is expected to continue to grow within and possibly outside of its present boundary. The classification of BEING HELD means that under the current weather conditions and the resources available, there will be no unexpected growth, however firefighters anticipate the possibility of a small amount of spread which would be normal on a wildfire of this size. See above regarding "understanding wildfire behaviour".
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 Edson. The fire is now classified as BEING HELD and is estimated to be 204, 318 ha in size.
There are 180 firefighters and 65 support staff being shared between the Pembina Complex of fires. There are 52 pieces of heavy equipment, and 18 helicopters assigned to the complex. In addition, structure protection personnel from the Town of Edson and Yellowhead County have integrated with the complex as a structure protection branch to allow for seamless coordination between Alberta Wildfire and the County.
Personnel from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon are working together on this fire. An Incident Management Team from Australia is managing the Pembina Complex.
Goals at the Pembina Complex remain first responder and public safety. We are using the downturn in weather to make strong progress on goals and plan for future initial attack.
Personnel from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon get a briefing on the Pembina Complex (June 19, 2023).
Fire Behaviour
Since June 17, widespread rainfall amounts of over 100 mm was measured over different locations of the fire. While weather remains cool and damp, rain will ease off throughout the late morning. Winds will be occurring from the northwest approximately 20 km/h and gusting up to 35 km/h. Winds will calm throughout the day. As rain eases, an anticipated drying trend will start Thursday, with warmer temperatures and higher relative humidity values.
Wet conditions may impact road access to the fireline. Today crews and personnel are back on the fireline where conditions permit. The main objective today is to extinguish any hotspots that have been identified over the last few days.
Fickle Lake Finger – The burn area is located approximately 2.5 km east of Fickle Lake and approximately 5 km south of Marlboro.
Personnel are continuing to consolidate lines in this section of the fire. This work involves crews constructing containment line using hand tools and heavy machinery. Also supporting the ground crews are water bombing helicopters.
Willmore Park Finger – The burn area is located approximately 1.5 km south of Edson.
Containment line has been established ahead of the most northern edge of this finger to limit any further growth in this area under current conditions. Crews have extinguished up to 100 feet into the fire perimeter around the fire that crossed over the McLeod River. Crews continue to patrol this area to monitor for hotspots.
Carrot Creek Area – The burn area is located approximately 6 km south of Highway 16 and approximately 10 km southwest of Carrot Creek.
Crews continue to work in this location to consolidate containment lines and prevent flare ups. Containment line is being constructed to prevent the fire from spreading any further through forest and grass land in this location.
East side – The burn area is located approximately 18 km west of Cynthia.
Crews on this edge of the fire have been working long hours to construct containment line and prevent the fire spreading any further to the east. Heavy machinery supported by aircraft and ground crews will be working north and south along this edge of the fire.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE FOERST AREA | PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | RWF034, RWF040
RWF034 is located near the O'Chiese Reserve is now classified as BEING HELD. The fire is currently estimated at 87,492 ha in size.
Personnel and heavy equipment are continuing to put out hotspots along the western side of this fire.
Crews will be making use of the cool temperatures and rainfall to continue reinforcing control lines and identifying concerns within the perimeter. Smoke may still be visible despite rainfall. The perimeter on the west side of the Brazeau Reservoir has remained quiet.
RWF040 is being actively monitored by firefighters and support staff assigned to the complex who can respond if necessary. Personnel continue to work on putting out hotspots within the perimeter. The fire is currently estimated to be 5,089 ha in size and is now BEING HELD.
For more information regarding the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, visit their Wildfire Updates.
By: Emma MacDonald, Pembina Complex. Wildfire Information Officer. Yukon Wildland Fire Management. For information related to the Pembina Wildfire Complex please contact: 780-728-5843. Emma MacDonald and Haley Ritchie are part of the Information Team on the Pembina Complex.
EDSON FOREST AREA | DEEP CREEK COMPLEX | WCU001, WCU002, EWF035
WCU001 was detected on April 29, and is now BEING HELD and estimated to be 6,284 ha in size. WCU002 was detected on the evening of April 29, and is now BEING HELD and estimated to be 2,478 ha in size. EWF035 was detected on May 5, is now classified as BEING HELD and is 19,672 ha in size. To view actual locations of the wildfires, visit the wildfire dashboard.
UNDERSTANDING WILDFIRE CLASSIFICATIONS | When firefighters classify a wildfire as OUT OF CONTROL, it means that the wildfire is burning and is expected to continue to grow within and possibly outside of its present boundary. The classification of BEING HELD means that under the current weather conditions and the resources available, there will be no unexpected growth, however firefighters anticipate the possibility of a small amount of spread.There are 88 firefighters assigned to the Deep Creek Complex, eight helicopters, 34 pieces of heavy equipment, and 51 support staff who are part of the incident management team, equipment maintenance and crew supervision (to name a few positions). Additional helicopters and heavy equipment groups are available from the Pembina Complex should they be required on any of the fires within the Deep Creek Complex.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are leaving today. We thank them for their hard work on this assignment. The South African crews will be taking a much needed rest starting today and returning to the fireline on Thursday.
A low system tracking north-northeast brought heavy precipitation to the Edson Forest Area with up to 60 mm recorded in some areas. Moderate to strong northwest and northeast winds up to 50-60 km/h are expected to diminish today. Chances of some scattered rain are still expected into Thursday.
Crews will continue to re-enforce the containment lines and extinguishing hotspots throughout the upcoming days. Some roads have become unstable and the ground too soft in some places to support heavy equipment.
Areas of burning peat as deep as one to two meters are challenging on the fireline as well as the risk of falling trees.
WCU001 The fire behavior on this fire has been reduced due to heavy precipitation. Crews continue searching for and extinguishing hotspots with water pumps, hose and hand tools. Their goal is to fully extinguish this wildfire. AB Wildfire firefighters will monitor and respond to any flare ups as needed. Residents and the public may see smoke or flame within the perimeter and this is normal as we work our way around and into the fire.
WCU002 The fire behavior on this fire is also reduced thanks to the work from our various firefighters and the cooler, wet weather we're experiencing. Crews will continue to work in key areas, including in peat farms and cattle fields.
EWF035 Heavy precipitation over the past days has also reduced fire behavior on this wildfire.
Firefighting crews and heavy equipment continue working on the middle section of the western boundary of the wildfire. They have completed building containment line, tying in some of the unburnt areas west of East Bank Road, south of Twp 560. This was to prevent a larger burn from occurring due to the forest fuel types that the wildfire could consume and burn again.
Crews will continue to work along the southwest side of the wildfire, searching for and extinguishing hotspots. Same for the southern portion, east of Rg Rd 131 and west of Rg Rd 130.
Heavy equipment continues reclamation on these wildfires in areas where there is no longer a concern, removing creek crossings, rolling back disturbed soil and spreading debris for a more natural setting. All disturbed containment lines will need to be reclaimed and this work is expected to continue into the fall and possibly into the winter months.
By Caroline Charbonneau, Deep Creek Complex. Wildfire Information Officer, AB Wildfire - Edson Forest Area. For information related to the Deep Creek Complex please contact: 780-740-1341.
EDSON FOREST AREA | WILD HAY WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF037, 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
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
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE UPDATES | You can subscribe to these updates (or any other forest area's update) and they'll come directly to your email or as a notification on your phone. You can visit our website, enter your email address and click Instant then Subscribe. You can also download the AB Wildfire Status App, click the "i" at the bottom left, click the bell for notifications and toggle the Edson Forest Area Update.
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.
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.
- To view the provincial wildfire danger map, click here.
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:
