A fire ban remains in effect for the entire forest protection area of Alberta.
Hot and dry weather persists through the province, keeping the fire danger at extreme. Use extreme caution when working or recreating outdoors and keep watch of your surroundings.
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.
Sietse is a full-time forest officer with the Edson Forest Area. He's assisting our firefighters with extinguishing hotspots on EWF084. (July 21, 2024).
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area is EXTREME. This means that forest fuels are extremely dry and pose a very serious fire risk. Fast-spreading, high-intensity fires are likely, which may be very difficult to control.
Fire danger is a relative index depicting forest environment conditions, how a fire will behave and how much damage a fire could do. View the forecasted fire danger map.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 84 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 209 ha. All wildfires are investigated in Alberta. Of these 84, 15 were determined to be caused by lightning, 49 caused by human activity and 20 remain under investigation.
ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE EDSON FOREST AREA
WEATHER FORECAST Tomorrow, a high of 32C with 25% relative humidity. Winds from the east 15-20 km/h gusting to 45km/h. Any active wildfires would be expected to move towards the west. Crossover conditions are expected again, meaning that the temperature will be greater then the relative humidity and could allow for increased fire activity.
The forest area has initial attack crews prepositioned across the area to respond to new wildfire detections. Airtankers are available when there are opportunities for effective use.
EWF084 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 45 km northwest of Edson and 49 km northeast of Hinton. It's estimated to be 1.1 ha in size. There are six firefighters, one helicopter and three pieces of heavy equipment. Airtankers are supporting firefighting efforts when they can be used effectively.
EWF083 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 37 km northeast of Hinton, 87 km southwest of Fox Creek and 110 km east-southeast of Grande Cache. It's estimated to be 1.5 ha in size. There are 22 firefighters, two helicopter and one piece of heavy equipment associated to the wildfire.
EWF081 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 37 km southwest of Edson, 25 km northeast of Robb and 66 km southeast of Hinton. This fire is located beside EWF075 and EWF077. It's estimated to be 9.2 ha in size. There are ten firefighters, two helicopters and three pieces of heavy equipment actioning the wildfire. Airtankers are currently supporting firefighting activities.
EWF080 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. This wildfire is located in Willmore Wilderness Park, 50 km south-southeast of Grande Cache and 80 km west of Hinton. It's estimated to be 9.1 ha in size. There are four firefighters and one helicopter actioning this remote wildfire.
EWF078 is now BEING HELD, which means that given current weather conditions and resources, the wildfire is not anticipated to grow past expected boundaries. The wildfire is located 53 km south-southwest of Edson and 33 km southeast of Robb. The fire is estimated to be 0.56 ha in size. There are currently eight firefighters, two helicopters and six pieces of heavy equipment working on this wildfire. The wildfire was caused by lightning.
EWF076 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL approximately 24 km south-southwest from Hinton, 7 km south-southeast of Folding Mountain Village and 6 km northeast of Miette Hotsprings. The wildfire is estimated to be 1 ha in size. The wildfire is located on top of a mountain ridge, making it difficult for firefighters to access. Two helicopters worked on bucketing the wildfire today.
EWF074 is now classified as UNDER CONTROL. It's located 45 km northwest of Edson, 55 km northeast of Hinton and 25 km north of Obed. The fire is estimated to be 8.6 ha in size. The wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning. The wildfire will be monitored for wildfire activity and actioned if required.
EWF072 is now BEING HELD. It's located 56 km northwest of Edson, 60 km northeast of Hinton and 37 km north of Obed. The fire is estimated to be 12.6 ha in size. Currently 18 firefighters and four pieces of heavy equipment continue to reinforce the containment lines. They'll be working from the perimeter, searching for and extinguishing hotspots. The wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning.
No communities are threatened by these wildfires at this time.
Learn more about wildfire classifications. View active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our Wildfire Status page.
Firefighters are responding to multiple wildfires in the forest area suspected to be caused by lightning (EWF084 on July 21, 2024).
ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK
Jasper National Park is responding to Utopia and Needle Peak wildfires located within the park. To learn more, visit their website. For additional information please visit Jasper National Park's social media pages.
Area closure: Miette Hot Springs area and Fiddle River Valley
A fire ban is in effect as of July 10 in the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the EDSON FOREST AREA, due to hot and dry conditions.
Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.
Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see if a fire ban or restriction is in place in your area.
Under this fire ban:
- All fire permits are suspended or cancelled.
- No new fire permits will be issued.
- Some allowances can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, if approved by a forest officer.
Prohibited:
- All outdoor wood fires, including wood campfires on public land, private land, designated campgrounds, and backyard firepits
- Barbeque charcoal briquettes
- Fireworks and exploding targets
Allowed:
- Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances
- Indoor wood fires inside a structure (such as a facility, building, tent or RV) and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
- Open flame oil devices (such as deep fryers and tiki torches). All devices must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards.
If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.
The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
As of 10:00 a.m. on July 21, 2024.
The fire danger is very high to extreme throughout most of the province.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 911 wildfires burning a total of 452,313 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 875 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,160,119 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 739 wildfires had burnt an average of 624,444 ha.
For the most up-to-date wildfire information, visit the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.
FIRE PERMITS ARE REQUIRED
Under a FIRE BAN, all permits are cancelled or suspended and no new permits will be issued. To learn more, visit albertafirebans.ca.
DRONES - IF YOU'RE IN THE SKY, WE CAN'T FLY!
There have been reports of drones being flown in and around restricted air space. If there are drones in areas where aircraft or airtankers are being used for wildfire suppression, we are unable to continue those flights until the space is cleared. A drone could strike an aircraft, causing damage to aircraft and severe injuries or fatality of pilots and firefighters. WE WILL NOT RISK LIVES FOR YOUR DRONES.
Before you fly your drone make sure you understand the rules that apply and follow them.
For more information, please visit: Safety for drones and firefighting aircraft or Transport Canada’s legal requirements.
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 30m 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:
