Fort McMurray Forest Area Wildfire Update

Fire Restriction wide

The wildfire danger in the Fort McMurray Forest Area is EXTREME around Fort McMurray, and MODERATE in the Fort Chipewyan/Fort Smith area. A fire restriction remains in place.

FIRE RESTRICTION

Under this restriction:

Existing fire permits are suspended;
All outdoor fires presently burning under permit must be extinguished, unless approved to continue by a Forest Officer;
Safe wood campfires within fire rings in campgrounds and backyard fire pits are allowed.

Prohibited:

Wood campfires on public land
Fireworks and exploding targets

Allowed:

Wood campfires on private land
Wood campfires within provincial campgrounds in a designated campfire ring
Backyard fire pits on private land
Charcoal briquette barbeques
Propane or natural gas fueled appliances
Indoor wood fires
Open flame oil devices

WEATHER FORECAST

A cold front is expected to enter the province from the northwest and push into the Fort McMurray Forecast Zone late in the day. Ahead of the front, conditions will be 32 C, 25% relative humidity with southwest winds blowing between 15 to 20 km/h and gusting to 35. The winds will switch to west and northwest between 15 to 20 km/h in the wake of the front.

Smoke forecasts can be found at firesmoke.ca

WILDFIRE UPDATE

There are currently 42 active wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area (FMFA). Lightning starts are the cause of the majority of these wildfires. Eight of our active wildfires are out of control, 24 are being held, nine are under control, and one has been turned over to the responsible party. Since March 1, there have been 79 wildfires in the FMFA that have burned 14,565.89 (ha).

MWF-075 is out of control at 1 ha. in size and is located 25 km southwest of Anzac.

There are three Complexes managing the bulk of these wildfires, Johnson, Martin and Muskeg.

Johnson Complex:

MWF-060 is out of control at 66 ha. in size and is located 8 km east of the Imperial Oil facility north of Fort McMurray.
MWF-076 is out of control at .01 ha. in size.
MWF-077 is out of control at .5 ha. in size.

All other wildfires within the Johnson Complex are being held or are under control.

Martin Complex:

MWF-067 is out of control at 475 hectares in size. It is located three km south of Sunshine camp and 5 km away from the plant site, but has not crossed Dover Road.
*SWF-099 is out of control at 5.16 hectares in size. It is located 29 km northwest of Chipewyan Lake.

All other wildfires within the Martin Complex are being held or are under control. Eighteen firefighters, six helicopters and heavy equipment are currently assigned to this complex.

Muskeg Complex:

MWF-057 is out of control at 50 hectares in size. It is located 31 km east of Fort McKay.
MWF-059 is out of control at 802 hectares in size. It is located 64 km southeast of Fort McKay.

All other wildfires within the Muskeg Complex are being held or are under control. Fifty-six firefighters and eight helicopters are currently assigned to this complex.

*SWF099 located 28 kilometres northeast of Chipewyan Lake is now being monitored by the Incident Management Team in the Fort McMurray Forest Area. The size of SWF099 will continue to increase over the next few days. Since this wildfire occurs in a zone where it does not threaten communities or resources it is allowed to burn onto the landscape naturally under the watchful eye of experienced fire managers. Using this wildfire management strategy has many benefits; it re-introduces fire onto the landscape, creates a break in the continuous fuels, reduces the intensity of the fire providing safety zones for our firefighting crews to work from and reduces the cost of fighting these wildfires.

If you have any questions regarding SWF099 please contact Fort McMurray Industry Liaison Mike Gadde 403-880-9296.

*Wildfire resources are allocated according to priorities including risk to human life, communities and infrastructure. Those wildfires with few or no resources assigned are regularly monitored for activity or signs of growth.

PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE as of 10 a.m.

There are currently 92 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Thirteen of these wildfires are out of control, 37 are being held, 41 are under control, and one has been turned over to the responsible party.

Since March 1 there have been 869 wildfires in the FPA, burning a total of 19,318.75 (ha).

For more information on the current wildfire situation across the province of Alberta, visit wildfirestatus.alberta.ca

Remember to check the hot spots on your Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) and remove debris before and after use.

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.

Extra caution must be used by recreationalists. Ensure your cooking and warming fires are out, and check your OHV for excess debris around the muffler. It can ignite and fall, causing a wildfire.

If you are found responsible for causing a wildfire, you can be charged with the cost of fighting that wildfire.

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TAKE THE PLEDGE

Residents from the Fort McMurray area are invited to take the wildfire pledge and protect our forests.

Help prevent human-caused wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area (FMFA) by signing our wildfire pledge. By taking the pledge, your name will be automatically entered into a draw to win an educational helicopter tour.

The FMFA averages 25 human-caused wildfires per year. Over the last 10 years, these wildfires have cost the government nearly $19 million per year.

Let’s work together to reduce the number of human-caused wildfires in the FMFA. Commit to reducing human-caused wildfires today:

I will always use fire responsibly and safely in the FMFA.
I will fully extinguish my campfire by soaking it, stirring it and soaking it again.
I will stop and check my off-highway vehicle regularly for built-up debris while riding off-road.
I will report any smoke I see in the forested areas to 310-FIRE.
I will be an ambassador for fire safety when enjoying Alberta’s forested areas with friends and family.

Take the pledge

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