Always ensure you soak your campfire, stir it and soak it again until the ashes are cool to the touch. Never leave your campfire unattended.
If you see smoke or flame in the forest, call 310-FIRE.
Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here
EWF031 burnt near Wolf Lake in early May and the fireweed and poplar regrowth in those areas are already thigh deep (depending on who's measuring). (July 16 2023).
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area is LOW today. The cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, partial cloud cover and no significant wind is helping keep wildfire activity down and is expected to continue in the coming days.
Since January 1, 2023, there have been 73 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 234,458 ha. The last recorded wildfire in the area was on June 30.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2023 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 868 wildfires burning a total of 1,732,012 ha.
Last year, there were 656 wildfires by this date with a total of 117,420 ha burnt. The 5 year average is by this date is 749 wildfires with a total of 200,412 ha burnt.
Visit our website and click on the interactive map to view active wildfires and their stats on the wildfire dashboard.
**Bold indicates new or important information. This update is best viewed on a web browser or the AB Wildfire Status App.**
UNDERSTANDING WILDFIRE BEHAVIOUR
Alberta 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 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. This means that fire can ignite but would have difficulty spreading to deeper vegetation layers or larger fuels, such as trees. Creeping ground fires would not travel very fast as grass is now green and there's sufficient moisture in the fine fuels. You can view the provincial wildfire danger map and learn more about how to interpret fire danger by clicking here.
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.
EDSON FOREST AREA | PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039
EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is estimated to be 201,913 ha in size. It's currently classified as being held which means that under the current weather conditions and with the resources available, there will be no unexpected growth. To learn more about wildfire classifications, click here. This wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning. To view actual locations of the wildfires, visit the wildfire dashboard.
There are now 13 pieces of heavy equipment and one firefighter assigned to EWF031. A reclamation plan has begun and equipment has started working on identified areas. This work is anticipated to take months to complete and we expect the work to continue into the winter.
This wildfire is continuously monitored for activity and will be actioned by local helitack firefighting crews if needed.
Firefighters continue to search for and extinguish hotspots on EWF031. To find the hotspots, they use various types of scanning methods including drones, helicopters and fixed wing planes.
For this wildfire to change status to “under control”, Alberta Wildfire wants to be certain that there are no hotspots remaining near the perimeter of the fire. The wildfire perimeter is large but not completely burned which means there are large areas of unburned trees, shrubs and grasslands. These patches of unburned fuel could pose a threat later when conditions dry as fire activity could resume from the hotspots if they aren’t properly extinguished.
Large portions of the northern boundary of EWF031 have been infrared scanned and firefighters have extinguished the hotspots that were identified. Alberta Wildfire is confident that EWF031 no longer poses a threat to the Town of Edson and any of the communities along the Highway 16 corridor.
Firefighters will continue to infrared scan the remainder of the wildfire and extinguish hotspots as they become known.
The Willmore area has had a thorough infrared scan using a drone and firefighters have not found any new hotspots in this area (July 16, 2023).
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE FOREST AREA | PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | RWF034, RWF040
For more information regarding the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, visit their Wildfire Updates.
EDSON FOREST AREA | DEEP CREEK COMPLEX | WCU001, WCU002, EWF035
WCU001 was detected on April 29, and estimated to be 6,284 ha in size. WCU002 was detected on the evening of April 29 and estimated to be 2,478 ha in size. EWF035 was detected on May 5 and is 19,672 ha in size. All three of these wildfires are classified as UNDER CONTROL meaning that the wildfire is completely contained and not expected to grow. These wildfires are in the final stages before they're classified as extinguished. The cause remains under investigation. To view actual locations of the wildfires, visit the wildfire dashboard.
These wildfires are continuously monitored for activity and will be actioned by local helitack firefighting crews if needed. There are currently 10 pieces of heavy equipment and two firefighters assigned to this wildfire complex.
Heavy equipment continue reclamation on these wildfires in areas where there is no longer a concern and the ground is dry enough, 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.
EDSON FOREST AREA | WILDHAY WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF037, EWF040
The Wildhay Complex is comprised of two wildfires. EWF037 is estimated to be 12,073 ha and EWF040 is estimated to be 578 ha in size. 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. Both of these wildfires are classified as under control and were determined to be caused by lightning. These wildfires will be monitored by firefighters and actioned as needed.
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 with 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.
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.
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. To learn more about wildfire classifications, click here.
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS | 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.
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.
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:
