An increased number of abandoned campfires have been found over the last month. Ensure you fully extinguish your campfire before leaving your site and never leave it unattended.
If you see smoke or flame in the forest and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (3473) to report it.
This update is best viewed on a web browser or the AB Wildfire Status App | View previous Edson Forest Area Updates. Bold indicates new or important information.
Firefighters are working hard to ensure all smoldering areas are extinguished (July 2, 2024).
ACTIVE WILDFIRES
EWF060 is currently listed as UNDER CONTROL 10 km west of Edson, north of highway 16. The wildfire was caused by a facility incident and estimated to be 3.44 ha in size.
Alberta Wildfire, Yellowhead County and industry partners are responding to this fire. There are no communities threatened at this time. Firefighters continue to make good progress towards extinguishing the fire. Highway 16 is currently open for both East and West bound traffic. To get up-to-date information on road closures, visit Alberta511.
Yellowhead County will post updates at yhcounty.ca and the Yellowhead County Facebook page regarding the incident.
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area is now moderate. This means that the fire can still ignite and would be a creeping or a gentle surface fire. Fire danger is a relative index depicting forest environment conditions, how a fire will behave and how much damage a fire could do. You can view the forecasted fire danger map on our website.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 60 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 89.38 hectares (ha).
Alberta investigates all wildfires. Of the 60 wildfires this year, nine have been caused by residents working or burning on their property, five have been caused by recreation activities, five by powerlines and three by agricultural activities. The rest remain under investigation or caused by similar industries and land users.
The area has detected an increase in abandoned campfires this month. Please make sure you fully extinguish your campfire and do not leave it unattended. The recent precipitation this spring has not been significant enough to prevent wildfires from spreading. Soak your campfire, stir the ashes and soak it again until the ashes are cool to the touch.
It's important to understand that wildfires caused by humans are rarely arson and anyone could accidently cause a wildfire. Keep watch of your surroundings when working and recreating outdoors and keep the risk of causing a wildfire to a minimum.
To learn more about wildfire classifications, click here.
Visit our website and click on the interactive map to view active wildfires, their locations and stats on the wildfire dashboard.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
The fire danger is high to very high in the northern part of the province. It is low to high in the central boreal and the agricultural zone. The fire danger is low to moderate along the Rocky Mountains.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 540 wildfires burning a total of 34,086 ha.
Last year, on this date, there was 771 wildfires that burnt a total of 1,990,2472 ha. In the past 5 years on this date, an average of 569 wildfires had burnt an average of 569,789 ha.
FIRE PERMITS ARE REQUIRED
All burning within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta requires a burn permit, with the exception of campfire. You can get your free fire permit by applying online or contact your local forest area office at (780) 723-8527 or you can request your permit using the online fire permit portal.
FIRESMART YOUR HOME
FireSmart is a national program that helps Canadians increase their resilience to wildfire. Whether you are a homeowner, resident, business, local government, or Indigenous community, you can take small steps with lasting impacts.
Homes and buildings ignite because of the materials, condition, and everything that surrounds them. The area within 30 metres of the home is called the Home Ignition Zone (HIZ). Within it are three priority areas, each requiring specific actions. Start by reducing your risk in the Immediate Zone and work your way outward.
To learn more on how you can protect your home, visit FireSmart Alberta. For farm or acreages, you can download the Farm and Acreage FireSmart magazine.
WILDFIRE PREVENTION TIPS & TOOLS
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.
- If you are working within the Forest Protection of Alberta, you must carry sufficient firefighting equipment as per the Forest Prairie and Protection Act.
- 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:
