Edson Area Update

A fire restriction is in effect for the entire Edson Forest Area. The fire ban and OHV restriction is no longer in effect.

Please do not report smoke or flame from within an active wildfire area. Firefighters are being diverted from essential tasks when responding to existing fires reported by the public. You may see smoke or flame within the existing boundary of a wildfire, this is normal.

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.

Previous Edson Forest Area Updates - Click here

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GENERAL INFORMATION ON WILDFIRES IN OUR AREA

**Bold indicates new or important information.

The area continues to have limited resources due to these exceptional times. We're sharing valuable resources with many other wildfires in the province but continue to work on and monitor the following wildfires in our area: WCU001, WCU002, EWF035, EWF031, EWF039, EWF037, EWF40 and new starts that are detected. 

Firefighters, aircraft, and heavy equipment have been working in conjunction with county and municipal firefighting services as aggressively as possible to make progress on these wildfires while the conditions have been favorable. Despite all of this hard work, there are still hundreds of kilometers of uncontained wildfire perimeter and fire behaviour forecasts indicate that there may be growth on some of the wildfires throughout the Edson Forest Area.

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. Please use EXTRA CAUTION WHEN DRIVING IN SMOKY CONDITIONS!

While we always appreciate people calling in to report wildfires, the large volume of calls we are currently receiving is diverting our resources away from other essential tasks. As always, please 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.

We ask residents to be extra cautious near burnt areas and 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. Deep ash pits and burning peat are also dangerous.

Visit our Wildfire Dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats on the wildfire dashboard. 

All wildfires in Alberta are investigated and these wildfires remain under investigation. To learn more about wildfire classifications, click here. 

PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF031, EWF039, RWF034, RWF040

Today, there are 114 firefighters and IMT support staff being shared between all fires on the Complex. There are 93 pieces of heavy equipment, and 24 helicopters assigned to the complex. An airtanker group is available to respond if necessary.

Overhead management personnel from New Zealand and Australia are now helping to supervise crews and equipment resources. Welcome aboard mates!

Crews took advantage of the minimal fire behavior to make good progress with their assignments. Dozers continued guard construction on both the northern and southern edges of the Wildfire Complex. In the north area they secured completed guard on the perimeter of the EWF031 excursion while south of RWF034 and RWF040, dozers and crews expanded the guard in that area.

Fire behavior was minimal throughout the early part of the day with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity suppressing fire activity. Smoldering fire with minimal low rates of spread were observed and ground fire is still present. In the afternoon, increased temperatures and winds resulted in potential fire spread on the surface with intermittent individual tree torching and crowning. Once again, it was another good day for fighting fire!

EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is located 25 km west of Lodgepole, 20 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 14 km southeast of Edson. The fire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 130,762 ha in size. This number changed due to more accurate mapping with an infrared scan conducted the past few days in addition to increased fire behavior. There was minimal fire growth today and that was well within fire contingency lines.

Yesterday fire managers, crews, and heavy equipment were successful in placing dozer and hand guard around the entire excursion located on the northeast portion of EWF031- (Sub Section 1 of Section 1 in T50 R13 W5). The dozer guard on the perimeter of the excursion is being secured by crews completing the installation of water hose and the addition of supplemental dozer guard where needed. Helicopters will continue bucket drops and stand by to assist crews on the ground The lightning start (EWF050) that is currently 1.1 ha in size and is actively being managed by Edson Forest area is now under control. The location is 3 km west of highway 753.

There is a containment line on the north side of the fire working downwards towards 6 Mile Road as well as a containment line previously completed and located south from Dora’s Corner. Both lines will have continued air support as visibility allows, and it is safe for aviation resources to operate to perform water drops if necessary.

EWF039 located near Carrot Creek, is currently being held. The fire is currently estimated to be 165 ha. The fire is fully wrapped in containment line and is a kilometer away from the Carrot Creek lookout tower. The one smoke detected days ago is well into the fire perimeter was in a burnt tree stump and is no longer showing any activity. The Lookout staff will keep watch over the area.

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 the south side of RWF034 along the Brazeau River, dozer guard construction was completed today. Crews are supporting the guard and monitoring conditions. 

Effective May 23, 2023, around 16:00hrs, the evacuation order for the O’Chiese FN was lifted and there are no alerts in place.

RWF034 and RWF040 have connected and will be managed as one fire although they will be tracked individually for the time being.

RWF040 The fire is 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. Dozer guard was completed yesterday around the east, south, and west sides of RWF040. Crews are actively supporting the guard with the installation of water systems with hose and pumps.

Some smoke was observed within the fire line which is to be expected with the trend of warming and drying conditions. Past growth occurred mostly to the west. The Blackstone Lookout Tower in the area is currently not at risk.

By: Kent Romney, Pembina Complex. Wildfire Information Officer, Oregon Department of Forestry.

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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 6,281 ha in size, 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. 

Aerial overview of WCU001 on June 2, 2023. Very little fire activity was observed on 001 today, however peat and some of the interior may flare up or smoulder until significant rain falls or firefighters extinguish the wildfire.

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 2,477 ha in size.

There has been no new growth outside of the fire perimeter of either of these wildfires and observed fire behavior continues to be relatively low with some areas generating smoke this afternoon in the interior as warmer weather has returned to the area. Firefighters continue to make good progress on containing the wildfire and "mopping up", meaning that they are putting out hotspots.

Firefighters were working along Range Road 92 yesterday and work continues north of Wildwood near highway 22.

Smoke may continue to be seen as flare-ups occur on the interior. This is expected to persist in the peat areas where the fire is burning deep, smouldering under the layers of peat and burning roots and other organic matter. The presence of bucketing helicopters is expected to continue as they work on actioning areas of the fire that continue to generate heat and smoke.

Deep ash pits and burning peat are dangerous. We 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 is estimated to be 19,592 ha in size. 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.

Wildland firefighters continue to work with heavy equipment to contain the wildfire on the south sections of the fire. The hotshot crews from the U.S. continue to work on the east-south-east side of the fire where hotspots were prevalent. Helicopters with water buckets continue to assist the firefighters with their efforts. They have wrapped up their work around Sunset Lake and have moved further south down the fireline to continue working on fire suppression efforts.

The perimeter from the northeast of the fire towards the northwest was cool again today with little to no fire activity. Firefighters are confident that the whole north and west boundary of the wildfire, down East Bank Road (Range Road 133A) is now contained and expect that the containment line wouldn't be challenged if the winds pushed the wildfire towards that direction again.

Fire behaviour typically increases during the “peak burning period”. This is normally mid-afternoon, when temperatures are hottest and relative humidity drops. Fire activity tends to slow down in the morning and late evenings when temperatures are cooler and humidity levels are higher. 

Minimal precipitation in the forecast for Saturday with relative humidity values in the 30-35% range. Temperature is expected to be in the mid-twenties tomorrow with easterly winds from 15-20 km/h. The forecast shows an increase in wind speeds on Sunday as southeasterly to southwesterly winds will be moderate at 20 km/h early in the day, veering to northwesterly at 20-25 km/h sustained values, gusting to 40 in the evening. Residents can expect to note fire activity within the perimeters of the Deep Creek Complex fires, more notably at “peak burn” over the weekend, increasingly so on Sunday.

There are 48 firefighters assigned to the Deep Creek Complex, eight helicopters, 45 pieces of heavy equipment and 56 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 Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, Australia, the United States and dedicated Alberta Wildfire crews on the Deep Creek Complex. Firefighters from British Columbia have arrived this afternoon and will be joining current firefighters on the fireline tomorrow morning. Additional resources are expected to arrive in the coming days.

We thank the Alpine Hotshot crew from the U.S National Parks Service for helping us on Deep Creek since May 14. They are headed home for some much deserved rest back in Colorado.

By: Isabelle Chenard. Wildfire Information Officer, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Contact: 780-728-5843.

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WILD HAY WILDFIRE COMPLEX | EWF037 and EWF040

EWF037 is being held at 578 ha and EWF040 is being held at 684 ha. There are multiple wildfires located south of the Little Smoky River, north of the Wild Hay River and east of Hwy 40 north. These also include the areas near the Willow Haul Road and the Jack Wright Road north of Hinton. 

There has been no perimeter growth on this complex is several days. Smoke and flame may still be observed within the interior of both EWF037 and EWF040. This complex is now being patrolled and monitored.  

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PUBLIC WILDFIRE MAPS

Visit our Wildfire Dashboard to view active wildfires and their stats on the wildfire dashboard. 

Deep Creek Wildfire Complex (EWF035, WCU002 and WCU001) May 29, 2023 - public map - Click here. 

Pembina Wildfire Complex (EWF031, EWF039, RWF034, RWF040) May 23 , 2023 - public map - Click here. *this map does not show other wildfire nearby.

Edson Forest Area Fires May 23, 2023 - public map - Click here. 

Note: The wildfire perimeter map is 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. 

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DO NOT FLY DRONES NEAR WILDFIRES!

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

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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.

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