Fort McMurray Forest Area Wildfire Update

The wildfire danger level is MODERATE north of Lake Athabasca and LOW south of Lake Athabasca within the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

If you have a campfire, never leave it unattended. Soak the ashes, stir them and soak them again until they're cool to the touch.

If you see smoke or flame in the forest please call 310-FIRE (3473).

MCX002 - Cattail Complex

Wildfires MWF047, MWF077, and MWF079 are part of the Cattail Lake Complex. All three wildfires were caused by lightning.

MWF047 is classified as under control and estimated to be 110,962 ha in size and is located 53 km east of Fort McKay, 68 km northeast of Fort McMurray, and 6 km northeast of local industrial facilities.

MWF077 is classified as under control and estimated to be 18,453 ha in size and 38 km northeast of Fort McMurray, 46 km from Fort McKay, and 6.5 km from local industrial facilities.

MWF079 is classified as being held and estimated to be 7,948 ha in size and is located near the Saskatchewan border.

MCX003 - Algar Lake Complex

Wildfires MWF069 and MWF086 make up the Algar Lake Complex. Both wildfires were caused by lightning.

MWF069 is classified as under control and is located 10 km west of Highway 63 and 40 km southwest of Fort McMurray and is 17,183 ha in size.

MWF086 is classified as being held and is located 37 km southwest of Fort McMurray and is 2,251 ha in size.

MCX004 - Rabbit Lake Complex

Wildfires MWF060, MWF074, and MWF078 are part of the Rabbit Lake Complex. All three wildfires were caused by lightning.

MWF060 is classified as being held and is located about 25 km northeast of Chipewyan Lake. It is estimated to be 27,392 ha in size.

MWF078 is classified as being held and is located about 25 km east of Chipewyan Lake. It is 3,000 ha in size.

FORT MCMURRAY FOREST AREA WILDFIRE UPDATE

There are currently 14 active wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area. Currently, nine are being held and five are under control.

Since January 1, 2024, 97 wildfires have burned approximately 290,503 hectares (ha) in the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

MWF045 was discovered on July 2 and is approximately 23 km south of the Wood Buffalo National Park border. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 5,454 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF061 was discovered on July 7. It is approximately 110 km northeast of Fort McKay and 13 km from the Birch Mountain Wildland Provincial Park. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 1,514 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF063 was discovered on July 9 and is 60 km southwest of Camsell Portage (Saskatchewan) and 65 km northeast of Fort Chipewyan. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 29,676 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF068 was discovered on July 10 and has crossed over into the High Level and Slave Lake forest area borders. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 31,297 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF080 was discovered on July 14 and is located in the area between Gipsy Lake, Garson Lake and the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 3,570 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

Wildfire Pledge winner took flight on September 8th!

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The wildfire pledge winner, Ofelia, a resident of Fort McMurray, took flight with three friends this past Sunday. They flew with a technologist who shared knowledge on the ecological benefits of wildfire on the landscape. They flew over parts of Fort McMurray, the burn scar of MWF017, and one of our fire towers.

Fire Permit Online

You will need a fire permit for any burning in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, with the exception of a campfire, until October 31.

To get started you will need:

either an Alberta.ca Account or Alberta.ca Account for Organizations
a description of the burn material(s)
the location(s) of the burning activity
any applicable photos or attachments

If you need help, see the Online Fire Permit System User Guide.

You can also request a fire permit by contacting your local forest area office.

Exploding targets

The use of exploding targets within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta is prohibited without written permission from a Forest Officer. Written permission is required year-round.

To find out more you can check out Alberta.ca.

If you wish to contact the Fort McMurray Forestry office you can call 780-743-7125.

CONTACT:

Emily Smith

Wildfire Information Officer | Fort McMurray Forest Area

Cell: 780-799-9253

Email: emily.smith@gov.ab.ca