Fort McMurray Forest Area Wildfire Update

The wildfire danger is very high for south of Lake Athabasca and low for north of Lake Athabasca in the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

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

The recent increase in wildfire starts is due to lightning that has passed through the area.

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 Cattail Complex

There are several wildfires that are all being managed together under MCX002. This includes MWF046, MWF047, MWF048, MWF051 and MWF054. All of these wildfires are classified as under control, except for MWF047. All of these wildfires were caused by lightning.

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Aerial view of MWF047 located in the Cattail Lake wildfire complex (July 6, 2024)

MWF047 is the largest wildfire that's included in this complex, it is approximately 12,201 ha in size and is classified as out of control.

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

There was minimal fire behavior overnight thanks to night operations and cooler temperatures throughout the day and into the evening. Fighting wildfires at night is successful because fire behaviour is lower and good progress can be made.

There are 201 personnel currently working on this complex; There are 95 firefighters, and the rest include pilots, engineers, heavy equipment operators and support staff. We currently have 20 helicopters, with most of them completing bucketing operations and 36 heavy equipment groups working on day and night operations.

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Smoke mushroom clouds over MWF047 (July 6,2024)

Crews will continue to work today on the south and west corners of this wildfire. As part of the daily operations, we will also continue to work on dozer guards and bucketing operations.

Overnight we were able to do a high-level scan of the Cattail Lake wildfire complex, the fire remains active on MWF047 but no other hotspots were detected on MWF046, MWF047, MWF048, MWF051 and MWF054.

Today, we expect a high of 27 degrees with a relative humidity of 35 per cent. We anticipate winds coming out of the southwest - west at 15 km/h, with isolated gusts up to 30 km/h in the afternoon.

12,201 ha

(Cattail Lake complex (MCX002) July 6, 2024 public map)

Note: The wildfire perimeter map is an estimate based on measurements such as GPS, aerial scanning and satellite imagery. This estimated perimeter can change as more accurate measurements become available. Areas within the fire perimeter may not have been affected by wildfire.

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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.

There is also a Air Quality Advisory for the area. Conditions will remain poor and worsen throughout the day.

Learn more at canada.ca/wildfire-smoke.

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

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See the forecasted fire danger map

FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2024 there have been 60 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of approximately 40,224 hectares (ha).

MWF060 was discovered July 5 and is located approximately 8 km east of the Slave Lake Forest Area border and the Fort McMurray Forest Area border. It is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 946 ha in size. Currently, we have 39 personal, one heavy equipment crew. Heavy smoke has impacted visibility for skimmers. However, work will resume if the smoke clears enough to safely fly.

MWF043 was discovered on July 2 and is located approximately 18 km west of the Athabasca River and 56 km south of the southern Wood Buffalo National Park border. It is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 32 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF045 was discovered on July 2 and is located approximately 23 km south of the Wood Buffalo National Park border. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 462 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF056 was discovered July 3 and is located approximately 41 km north of the cattail complex (MCX002). It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 32 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF057 was discovered July 3 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. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

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.

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