The wildfire danger is high for the entire Fort McMurray Forest Area.
A fire ban is in effect north of Lake Athabasca and a fire advisory is in effect south of Lake Athabasca within the Fort McMurray Forest Area.
Report wildfires by calling 310-FIRE (3473).
FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE
Since January 1, 2024 there have been 27 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of approximately 26,643 hectares (ha).
There are currently two carryover wildfires from the 2023 season burning in the Fort McMurray Forest Area. Both of these wildfires are under control. They are being monitored by firefighters.
Crews continue to monitor the wildfire perimeter of MWF017, May 28.
MWF017
MWF017 is classified as under control at 18,593 ha. This means that this wildfire is contained and will be extinguished. Thank you to all the firefighters and support staff who have worked hard over the past few weeks to get this fire under control. There were many challenging days and long hours but it’s rewarding to see this wildfire has been updated to under control. There is still work to be done to fully extinguish this fire, but our firefighters are up for the challenge.
The closest point of the fire remains about 5.5 km from the Fort McMurray landfill and 4.5 km from the intersection of highways 63 and 881.
Temperatures today will be approximately 19°C with winds out of the west-northwest 20-25 gusting 40km/h at times.
Crews will be walking within the fire perimeter to find hotspots and putting them out with water, foam, and hand tools. In the last few days scans were conducted on the fire, and this will help the crews extinguish hotspots identified as they continue to walk the fireline.
There are 127 firefighters and 9 helicopters assigned to this wildfire.
The cause of this wildfire remains under investigation.
Jean Lake Complex (MXC001) is made up of two wildfires (HWF021 and MWF010), located near Birch Mountains. MWF010 is 7,976 hectares in size and HWF021 is 378 hectares. Both are classified as under control and do not pose a threat to any community.
For up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation, visit Alberta Wildfire Status.
Download the Alberta Wildfire App for Apple or Android.
FIRE BAN IN EFFECT (NORTH OF LAKE ATHABASCA)
See Alberta Fire Bans for a map of the area affected.
Under this fire ban:
Prohibited:
Allowed:
The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.
FIRE ADVISORY IN EFFECT (SOUTH OF LAKE ATHABASCA)
See Alberta Fire Bans for a map of the area affected.
Under this advisory:
Existing fire permits remain valid, but extension requests may not be granted.
We encourage any landowners who have done burning over the winter and that have had past fire permits to revisit the burn location to ensure these fires are fully extinguished.
The fire advisory will remain in effect until conditions improve or further escalation is required.
If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.
Drones are not allowed within five nautical miles (or 9.3 kilometers) of a wildfire. If you fly a drone within this distance of a wildfire, it immediately halts aerial firefighting operations because it is not safe for aircraft to be flying with drones in the air. Interfering with wildfire control operations can land you a court appearance.
See Transport Canada's Forest fires and drones fact sheet for more information.
Take wildfire prevention to new heights with our Wildfire Pledge Campaign!
Pledge today to reduce wildfires across the Fort McMurray Forest Area and you'll be entered to win an educational helicopter ride!
Take the pledge here: alberta.ca/wildfire-pledge
Everyone has a role to play in preventing wildfires. You can reduce the risk of your vehicle causing a wildfire by following these simple steps:
CONTACT:
Emily Smith
Wildfire Information Officer | Fort McMurray Forest Area
Phone: 780-799-9253
Email:emily.smith@gov.ab.ca
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