The fire danger in the Fort McMurray Forest Area is overall HIGH.
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).
FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2022, there have been 111 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of 125,401 ha. There are currently 31 active wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, 17 are classified as being held and 14 are classified as under control:
WILDFIRE OF INTEREST
The wildfire being handled by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo fire department in the tree line behind McKinley Crescent has been classified as being held at 2.5 ha. As per their update, "fire activity was quiet throughout the evening, with the size of the fire shrinking. Crews remain on scene and there is no immediate threat to nearby properties. Sprinkler systems and other equipment will continue to be used to protect residential areas and contain the fire. Please give crews room to work."
For more information please contact the following number they have provided at 780-743-7000 or click here for updates from the Municipality of Wood Buffalo Facebook page.
A MESSAGE FROM THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WOOD BUFFALO
There are currently no threats to any communities at this time. In the event of an evacuation alert or order within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, we recommend that you download Alertable - Emergency Notifications.
To learn more about how you can protect your property from wildfire, visit the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo FireSmart website:https://www.rmwb.ca/en/fire-and-emergency-services/firesmart.aspx
Managing emergencies is all about planning for them in advance. Once a year, a review of the REMP and CEMPs is done to ensure they reflect all the needs of our region. To learn more about the Regional Emergency Management Plan, click here.
OTHER WILDFIRES
MWF015 was detected on June 12 and is located 24 km southeast of Fort Fitzgerald, 49 km southeast of Fort Smith and 115 km north of Fort Chipewyan. It is currently estimated to be 4,057 ha in size and classified as being held.
MWF074 was detected on August 17 and is located east of Andrew Lake. It is currently estimated to be 4,354 ha in size and classified as being held.
MWF086 was detected on August 21 and is located west of Bocquene Lake. It is currently estimated to be 1,264 ha in size and classified as being held.
MWF031 was detected on June 25 and is located 21 km north of Fort Chipewyan and is now on the edge of Flett Lake. This wildfire was re-surveyed September 19 and is now estimated to be 61,993 ha in size. There was no new growth on this wildfire today and it remains classified as being held.
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 on the landscape under the watchful eye of experienced fire personnel. 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 the wildfires on a map, check out the 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
Since January 1, 2022 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 1203 wildfires burning a total of 152,942 ha.
SMOKE RELATED CONCERNS
If you have smoke related concerns, we recommend that you visit the Alberta Health FAQs on wildfire smoke by clicking here. You can also visit firesmoke.ca to view current and forecasted smoke in your area.
CAMPFIRE SAFETY
Cooking and warming fires are common this time of year and firefighters often find unattended or abandoned fires each year. If you're having a warming fire during your hunt, please be familiar with building it and proper extinguishment.
Use an existing fire receptacle if possible, otherwise, choose a location that's on level ground, sheltered from the wind and is on bare mineral soil. If you build your fire on peat or top soil, you risk creating a deep burning fire that could be challenging to extinguish. Keep it away from dry grass, leaves or branches and keep water close by.
Before you leave, ensure you fully extinguished the fire, otherwise it could smoulder under ground for days or even weeks and re-surface when the conditions are right for a wildfire. Your fire isn't fully extinguished until the burnt wood and ashes are cool to the touch.
To learn more about campfire safety, visit our website 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
RELATED INFORMATION
Websites:
Alberta Wildfire, Alberta Fire Bans, FireSmart in Alberta, Alberta Emergency Alerts, Air Quality Health Index
Wildfire Smoke and Your Health, 511 Road Reports, and Emergency Preparation.
Social Media:
Alberta Wildfire on Facebook and Alberta Wildfire on Twitter
Apps:
Alberta Wildfire App for Apple or Android and Alberta Fire Bans App for Apple or Android.