Fort McMurray Forest Area Wildfire Update

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

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

The recent influx of wildfire starts was 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.

Wildfire MCX002

There are several wildfires near the Firebag River that are all being managed together under MCX002. This includes MWF046, MWF047, MWF048, MWF051, MWF054 and MWF055. All of these wildfires are classified as under control or being held, except for MWF047.

MWF047 is the largest wildfire that's apart of this complex, which is approximately 5000 ha in size and is classified as out of control. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

This wildfire is approximately 8 km northeast of industrial facilities, about 50 km northeast Fort McKay and 70 km northeast of Fort McMurray.

Currently, we have 36 firefighters, nine helicopters, three pieces of heavy equipment and five overhead staff working on this complex, with more resources to follow.

One crew is working to secure the perimeter of MWF047, they are working on the edges of the wildfire that are closest to values at risk. A crew is working on MWF054 with the intent to extinguishing this 0.4 ha wildfire. Another crew is working on MWF048 with the intent to extinguish this 1 ha wildfire.

Yesterday, we had significant fire growth towards the south and experienced extreme fire behaviour. We had airtankers on MWF047 early yesterday morning that assisted in slowing fire growth. We also had our nighttime operations helicopter bucketing on MWF047 last night, with plans to have them bucket tonight as well.

Today we expect a high of 28 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 30 per cent. Wind is forecasted to be coming from the west at 15-20 km/h, gusting up to 35 km/h, which should push the wildfire towards the east.

We expect a challenging firefighting day in the afternoon and early evening today. Despite high humidity experienced overnight, during the day the relative humidity will drop and the temperature will increase which can be conducive to extreme fire behaviour.

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(We anticipate another challenging firefighting day, July 3, 2024)

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A fire restriction is in place for the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

Under this restriction:

Existing fire permits are restricted, suspended or cancelled and no new fire permits will be issued.
Safe wood campfires within fire rings in campgrounds are allowed.

Prohibited on public lands, including backcountry and random camping areas:

All outdoor wood fires.
Fires fueled exclusively by charcoal briquettes.
The use of fireworks and exploding targets.

Allowed in designated campgrounds on private and public land, designated day use areas and on privately owned land:

Safe wood campfires.
Backyard fire pits, charcoal briquette barbeques.
Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances CSA approved or UL certified.

Never leave a campfire unattended. Soak it, stir it and soak it again until cool to the touch to ensure it is extinguished.

If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.

The fire restriction will remain in effect until conditions improve.

For more information, visit Alberta Fire Bans.

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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See the forecasted fire danger map (updates daily at 3:00 PM).

FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2024 there have been 59 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of approximately 28,824 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 being held and is estimated to be 13.8 ha in size.

MWF058 was discovered today and is located approximately 10 km east of Highway 63. It is classified as under control and is estimated to be 0.1 ha in size.

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.

See Campfire safety 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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