Fort McMurray Forest Area Wildfire Update

The wildfire danger is very high across the entire Fort McMurray Forest Area.

A fire advisory is in effect for the entire Fort McMurray Forest Area.

The recent influx of wildfire starts was mostly due to lightning that passed through the last couple of days.

67% of wildfires are human-caused, everyone plays a role in preventing wildfires. Take the wildfire pledge to reduce wildfires and be entered to win a helicopter tour! Go to alberta.ca/wildfire-pledge.

Firebag Complex

There are several wildfires near the Firebag River that are all being managed together under the Firebag Complex. This includes MWF046, MWF047, MWF048, MWF051, MWF052, MWF053, MWF054 and MWF055. All of these wildfires are either classified as being held or out of control.

MWF047 is the largest wildfire that's apart of this complex, which is approximately 992 ha in size and is classified as out of control. Currently, this wildfire is approximately 53 km northeast Fort McKay and 76 km northeast of the Fort McMurray urban service area.

Currently, we have five firefighting crews, nine helicopters, three pieces of heavy equipment and four overhead staff working on this complex, with more resources to follow.

We are currently working with industry organizations that have infrastructure nearby these wildfires.

(The Firebag Complex showed extreme fire behaviour today due to hot and dry conditions, July 3, 2024)

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A fire advisory is in effect for the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

Under this advisory:

Existing fire permits are valid but extension requests may not be granted. Permit holders must follow the safe burning conditions outlined on the fire permit.
New fire permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis, for essential burning only.

Permitted:

Safe wood campfires
Backyard fire pits
Portable propane fire pits
Gas or propane stoves and barbecues
Catalytic or infrared style heaters

Prohibited:

Any burning without a valid fire permit, other than a campfire is prohibited.

The fire advisory will remain in effect until conditions improve.

For more information go to the Alberta Fire Bans website.

Smoke may be visible in the area over the next few days

Over the next few days, we anticipate some visible smoke in the area.

To see more information related to smoke in the area, please visit firesmoke.ca.

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To see the forecasted fire danger, updates daily at 3:00 PM.

FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2024 there have been 58 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of approximately 27,698 hectares (ha).

MWF057 was discovered today and is located approximately 65 km east of Fort McKay and approximately 70 km northeast of Fort McMurray. It is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 15 ha in size. Tomorrow, we plan to have airtankers drop retardant early in the morning, then have a firefighting crew and four aircraft working on this wildfire.

MWF058 was discovered today and is located approximately 10 km east of Highway 63. It is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 0.2 ha in size. Currently, we have one initial attack crew, bird dog plane and an airtanker group working on this wildfire.

MWF010 was discovered on April 21 and is located near the Birch Mountains. It is classified as under control at 7,976 ha in size. This means that this wildfire is contained and will be extinguished. This wildfire was human-caused.

MWF017 was discovered on May 9 and is located southwest of Fort McMurray. It is classified as under control at 18,593 ha. This means that this wildfire is contained and will be extinguished. The cause of this wildfire remains under investigation.

For up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation, visit Alberta Wildfire Status.

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Over the past few days, we have had more than 20 new wildfire starts and most of them were caused by lightning.

Now that we are experiencing more lightning, this is a good reminder of how essential it is for everyone to report any wildfires they see in the forest to 310-FIRE.

The sooner a potential wildfire is reported, the sooner we can get a crew out to assess and start working on it and send more resources if required. This is critical for ensuring an efficient response to any wildfires that start.

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The Alberta Wildfire Status App is a great way to stay informed on the go for any wildfires across the Fort McMurray Forest Area and the province.

Subscribe to specific forest areas and get notifications when there's a new update.

Download for Apple or Android today!

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When you're done with your campfire, always remember to soak it, stir it and soak it again.

Let the fire burn down before you plan on putting it out. Spread the embers within the fire pit, then add water or loose dirt, and stir.
Expose any material still burning. Add more water and stir again until you can no longer see smoke or steam. Do not bury your fire as the embers may continue to smoulder and can re-emerge as a wildfire.
Repeat until your campfire is cool to the touch.
If your fire is out, you should not be able to feel any heat from the ashes.

Click here for more information.

CONTACT:

Emily Smith

Wildfire Information Officer | Fort McMurray Forest Area

Phone: 780-799-9253

Email:emily.smith@gov.ab.ca

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