Fort McMurray Area Update

The fire danger in the Fort McMurray Forest Area is overall LOW, with the exception of the area surrounding and north of Lake Athabasca, which is VERY HIGH.

The FIRE ADVISORY for the Fort McMurray Forest Area is now lifted. 

Please use caution when working or recreating in the outdoors. Always ensure you fully extinguish your campfire and if you see smoke or flame in the forest, call 310-FIRE (3473). 

Forecasted map of the fire danger throughout Alberta (August 3, 2022).

FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2022, there have been 71 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of 87,308.4 hectares (ha). 

MWF015 was detected on June 12 and located 24 km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald, 45 km southeast of Fort Smith and 115 km north of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 3,162 ha in size and classified as being held. This wildfire was caused by lightning. 

MWF018 was detected on June 13 and is located 28 km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald, 43 km southeast of Fort Smith and 90 km north of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 2,842 ha in size and classified as being held. This wildfire was caused by lightning. 

MWF022 was detected on June 13 and is located 58 km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 62 km northeast of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 23,391 ha in size and classified as being held. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF025 was detected on June 14 and is located 30 kilometers east of Fort McMurray. It is currently estimated to be 1,554 ha in size and is classified as being held. The wildfire is moving east and away from the city of Fort McMurray. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF031 was detected on June 25 and is located 21 km north of Fort Chipewyan. The fire remains on the edge of Flett Lake and has not seen significant growth in the past several days. The wildfire is estimated to be 45,280 ha in size and was caused by lightning. It is classified as being held. This wildfire does not threaten any community at this time. The fire has not grown towards the south and therefore has not gotten closer to Fort Chipewyan or the airport.

Firefighters continue to monitor the southern and eastern flank of the fire and will continue their indirect attack on the wildfire. Additional aircraft are available if needed in Fort McMurray. 

MWF032 was detected on June 26 and is located nine kilometers east of Gypsy Lake. It is currently estimated to be 6,476 ha in size and is classified as being held. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF033 was detected on June 30 and is located 30 km southwest of Fort Fitzgerald and 110 km north of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 1,863 ha in size and classified as being held. The fire has reached the west side of Leland Lake. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF034 was detected on June 30 and is located 50 km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 90 km north of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 1,301 ha in size and classified as being held. This wildfire was caused by lightning. 

Since these wildfires are located in remote areas where they do not threaten communities or resources, we allow the wildfires to play out their natural role onto the landscape under the watchful eye of experienced fire managers. Using this wildfire management strategy has many benefits. It re-introduces fire onto the landscape, creates a break in the continuous fuels, reduces the intensity of the fire, provides safety zones for our firefighting crews to work from and reduces the cost of fighting these wildfires.

These wildfires are actively monitored by firefighters on a regular basis and do not threaten any communities at this time.  

To learn more about the classification of wildfires, please click here.

To view a map of all the wildfires in the area north of Lake Athabasca, click here.

To view the wildfires on a map, check out the new wildfire dashboard. It provides up-to-date wildfire information at the click of a button. This interactive tool displays important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more. 

PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE

SMOKE

To view the Air Quality Health Index for your location, visit the interactive map by clicking here. Visit firesmoke.ca to view the smoke forecast and see where the smoke is coming from.

If you have smoke related concerns, we recommend that you visit the Alberta Health FAQs on wildfire smoke by clicking here. 

REQUEST A FIRE PERMIT

Wildfire season in Alberta is from March 1 until October 31. During wildfire season, you are required to have a fire permit if you plan on burning in the Forest Protection Area, with the exception of a campfire.

To request a free fire permit online, visit the new portal. You will need a MyAlberta Digital ID to access the portal. Please note that you can still request your permit from the Fort McMurray forest office by calling 780-743-7125.

For more information regarding fire permits, you can view our video by clicking here.

CONTACT