The FIRE BAN remains in effect for the forest protection area of Alberta, including the Edson Forest Area.
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.
EWF080 is now being held in Willmore Wilderness Park (July 27, 2024).
A fire ban remains in effect for the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the EDSON FOREST AREA.
Firefighters will re-assess conditions early this week and make an informed decision on changing the fire ban levels. These decisions are based on weather forecasts, fire danger, the risk of human-caused wildfires and available firefighting resources. Most areas received some significant rain, however the area also experienced strong winds that caused the fine fuels to dry further, and forecasts are calling for hotter temperatures next week.
We thank everyone for their understanding and patience while firefighters work on extinguishing the remainder of the lightning-caused wildfires in the past two weeks.
Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see if a fire ban or restriction is in place in your area and learn what is prohibited and allowed under this ban.
The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.
ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK
An evacuation order has been issued for Jasper National Park and the Town of Jasper. There is no threat to communities in Yellowhead County, the Town of Hinton or the Town of Edson.
ANP002, ANP003 are mutual aid wildfires that are currently burning OUT OF CONTROL within Jasper National Park. The wildfires are outside of the Forest Protection Area and assistance is being provided to the lead agency.
Jasper has released new updates. You can view the latest wildfire update on the Jasper National Park - Wildfire Status Updates.
Additional information will be available on the Jasper National Park Facebook page and Municipality of Jasper page. You can view smoke forecasts on the FireSmoke.ca website.
We can assure members of our communities that Alberta Wildfire is working closely with Parks Canada. We have dispatched requested resources and will support them when needed.
Yellowhead County and Alberta Wildfire will continue to work together to inform residents and industry, as we receive updates from Jasper National Park and the Municipality of Jasper. This will include information on the proximity of the wildfires.
Update as of July 27 at 5:00 p.m.: The wildfire that is currently located north and south of Jasper, along Highway 16 and highway 93, has joined together. These wildfires have NOT entered into, or near Snaring River Campground. The campground is 25 km from the Alberta-Jasper boundary, 33 km from Brule, 48 km from highway 40 (north and south) and 50 km from Hinton. No communities in the Edson Forest Area (Yellowhead County) are threatened by these wildfires.
Check Alberta Emergency Alerts for up-to-date information on evacuation alerts and orders and Alberta 511 for road conditions and closures.
NASA FIRMS Fire Information website is a great resource to give an approximate location of hotspots in an area, but cannot always be used to determine specifically where a wildfire is burning. The heat from smoke columns, reflections from water and other heat signatures will appear on the map. It's important to note that the data is based on a mathematical estimate (interpolation) and can often make a wildfire appear larger than it actually is.
Please go to Yellowhead County website or their social media page for recent municipal updates.
Pay attention and be prepared: visit Emergency Preparedness for Wildfires, Evacuations, Livestock to learn more.
EDSON FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE
The wildfire danger in the Edson Forest Area remains LOW. This means that fire can still ignite but is not expected to spread to deeper vegetation layers or larger fuels, such as trees.
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 91 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 275 ha. All wildfires are investigated in Alberta.
ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE EDSON FOREST AREA
WEATHER FORECAST Tomorrow, a high of 26C with 30% relative humidity is in the forecast. Winds from the northwest 10 km/h are expected with a small possibility of scattered rain and thunder showers.
EBZ001 is a mutual aid wildfire on the boarder of British Columbia and the Edson Forest Area, within Willmore Wilderness Park. It's currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 56 km southwest of Grande Cache, 98 km west of Rock Lake and 147 km west-northwest of Hinton. It is estimated to be 340 ha in size.
EWF081 is now EXTINGUISHED. This fire is located 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 was estimated to be 9.2 ha in size.
EWF080 is now BEING HELD. 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 70 ha in size.
EWF078 is now BEING HELD. 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. The wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning.
EWF076 is now UNDER CONTROL, which means that the wildfire is completely contained and will be extinguished. The fire is approximately 24 km south-southwest from Hinton and 7 km south-southeast of Folding Mountain Village. The wildfire is estimated to be 1 ha in size. The wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning.
EWF074 is now 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 UNDER CONTROL. It is 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. 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.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE
As of 10:00 a.m. on July 27, 2024.
The fire danger is low to moderate across the southern boreal and foothills. It is extreme in the northeast part of the province and the agricultural zone.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 979 wildfires burning a total of 553,048 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 920 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,179,802 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 766 wildfires had burnt an average of 628,587 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!
Before you fly your drone make sure you understand the rules that apply and follow them. 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.
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.
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:
