Edson Area Update

 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.

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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.

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Join AB Wildfire and Bertie Beaver at Parks Day today from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (July 20, 2024 Kelly's Bathtub at William A Switzer Park).

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 76 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 186 ha.

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ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE EDSON FOREST AREA

Weather forecast| Today, the area is expecting a high of 30C with 25% relative humidity. This could cause crossover conditions, meaning that the temperature will be greater then the relative humidity and could allow for increased fire activity. Winds from the northeast 10km/h gusting to 20 km/h is also forecasted, which could push the wildfires towards the southwest.

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.

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. No communities are threatened at this time.

The wildfire is currently on top of a mountain ridge. Airtankers actioned the wildfire yesterday and one helicopter is bucketing today. 

EWF075 is now BEING HELD approximately 37 km southwest of Edson, 25 km east of Robb and 66 km southeast of Hinton. It's estimated to be 0.03 ha in size. There are four firefighters and one helicopter assigned to this wildfire. Crews will return today to action the wildfire. The wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning. 

EWF074 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 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. 

There are eight firefighters and one helicopter associated to the wildfire. Today, firefighters continued to reinforce the containment lines that the dozers created the night before. Significant rainfall was observed on the fire last night.

Emerson campground was closed as a precautionary measure and is now open to the public.

EWF072 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 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 20 firefighters, one helicopter and three 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.

EWF069 is currently listed as UNDER CONTROL. The fire is located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Wolf Lake campground. The fire is estimated to be 0.3 ha in size. This wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning.

EWF061 is currently UNDER CONTROL. The wildfire is located 18 km northeast of Cynthia, 20 km southwest of Wildwood and 6.5 km east of highway 753. It's estimated to be 74.12 ha in size. This wildfire is being monitored for activity and will be actioned if needed. This 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.

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ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK

Utopia Wildfire (as of July 19 at 8:00 p.m.)

Parks Canada is responding to a wildfire above the Utopia Pass in Jasper National Park, near Miette Hot Springs. This lightning-caused wildfire is high on the slopes of Mount Utopia. It is currently estimated to be two hectares or four football fields in size.

Two firefighting crews and two helicopters are working to contain the Utopia wildfire. Additional resources are on standby. 

Due to the wildfire proximity and to support firefighting efforts an evacuation alert has been issued for Miette Hot Springs and Miette Bungalows. 

Miette Hot Springs and Fiddle River backcountry areas are closed to the public for wildfire operations. This includes Sulphur Skyline Trail, Source of the Springs Trail, Utopia Campground, Slide Creek Campground, and Whitehorse Campground.

The Miette Road is only accessible to guests and staff at Miette Bungalows, Miette Campground, and Miette Mountain Cabins. 

Needle Peak Wildfire (as of July 19 at 8:00 p.m.)

Last night’s lightning started a second wildfire in the Simon Creek drainage, on the slopes of Needle Peak in a remote valley of the park. A firefighting crew and helicopter are working to contain this wildfire. No people, trails or infrastructure are impacted by this wildfire. 

For additional information please visit Jasper National Park's social media pages.

Area Closure: Miette Hot Springs area and Fiddle River Valley

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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.

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PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE

As of 10:00 a.m. on July 19, 2024.

The fire danger is very high to extreme throughout the northeast boreal and the agricultural zone. It is moderate to high along the northwest and the slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Since January 1, there have been 893 wildfires recorded in the Forest Protection Area that have burned 442,925 ha.

Last year, on this date, there was 872 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,160,118 ha. In the past 5 years on this date, an average of 735 wildfires had burnt 624,393 ha.

For the most up-to-date wildfire information, visit the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.   

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.