Fort McMurray Area Update (48)

The wildfire danger level is extreme across the Fort McMurray Forest Area.

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

Over the past 24 hours, we've had approximately five new starts that were caused by lightning.

Hangingstone Provincial Recreation Area and Richardson Wildland Park have been closed to the public effective immediately.

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 MWF047, MWF056, MWF057, MWF077 and MWF079. All of these wildfires are classified as being held or under control, except for MWF047, MWF077 and MWF079. All of these wildfires were caused by lightning.

There are 264 personnel currently working on this complex, including 150 firefighters, 66 incident management team members, support staff, contractors and pilots. We have 18 helicopters and 30 pieces of heavy equipment working this complex.

MWF047 is the largest wildfire that's included in this complex and is classified as out of control. It is estimated to be 81,015 ha in size. See the most recent map available for MWF047.

Currently, MWF047 is approximately 6.8 km northeast of industrial facilities, about 53 km northeast of Fort McKay and 68 km northeast of Fort McMurray. We anticipate to see more growth overnight.

Most of the fire growth on this wildfire was towards the north. Helicopters bucketed on west-southwest portions of the wildfire that showed smoke but the wildfire seemed to respond well to the bucketing. So far, that line continues to hold well, but we are still expecting challenging firefighting days ahead.

We will see some significant fire growth on this wildfire once the high level scan is completed tonight.

MWF077 is a part of this complex and is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 6,075 ha in size. See the most recent map available for MWF077.

Currently, MWF077 is approximately 13.7 km south of industrial facilities, about 46 km east of Fort McKay and 38 km northeast of Fort McMurray.

Today, helicopters bucketed on areas that had aggressive fire behaviour. Crews were placed in strategic locations were they could put in good work extinguishing hotspots with the support of bucketing helicopters.

We also had a retardant application truck put down lines of retardant. This is a vehicle that can spray retardant on the ground and is an effective way to add more retardant in key locations in a more precise way than with airtankers. This also helps to take some pressure off the airtankers, so airtankers can put down retardant where a truck truck can't access.

Today, we saw some extreme fire behaviour on this complex. The forecasted conditions proved to be very dry and hot, thus, fire growth will be significant. We have been using all the tools and resources available to us to help contain this complex.

The forecast is predicting conditions conducive to extreme fire behaviour for the next few days. This means we can expect some significant fire growth. The forecast for the next few days predict that we will have very challenging firefighting days ahead of us.

Tomorrow, the forecast predicts a high of 32 degrees Celsius and a low relative humidity of 25%. Winds are expected to come out of the southwest at 10-15 km/h, gusting up to 30 km/h. No precipitation has been forecasted.

The nighttime capable helicopter will bucket again on this complex tonight. This is an effective way to fight wildfires since fire activity is subdued at night.

We have ignition plans prepared in the event we need to use them. This is only done during ideal conditions and under the watchful eye of experienced wildfire managers. These operations are supported by helicopter bucketing operations.

High level scans will continue to be completed for MWF047 and MWF077 and help to identify areas of fire growth and hotspots. These scans are crucial for prioritizing resources to the parts of the wildfire that require it most.

(Extreme fire behaviour was seen on MWF077 and MWF047, but bucketing helicopters helped slow fire growth, July 16, 2024)

Wildfire MCX003 - Algar Lake Complex

MWF069 started on July 10 as a series of smaller lightning-caused fires that all merged into this larger fire. It is classified as out of control. The fire perimeter of MWF069 has been remapped more precisely. Its size has been updated to 12,334 hectares. Changes to the fire perimeter were on the interior, the fire has not spread further toward Highway 63 or Fort McMurray at this time.

This merged wildfire is located approximately:

11 km west of Highway 63
40 km southwest of Fort McMurray

Fire activity on MWF069 increased mid-morning today and was later tempered by cloud cover that settled in around noon. Increased fire activity along the north side of MWF069 was actioned by skimmer airtankers, until they were diverted to a priority new start. MWF069 spread north, but does not create any new concern to identified values or Highway 63. Wind shifts and lightning on the landscape triggered a decision to temporarily pull crews off the fireline mid-afternoon, to ensure the safety of firefighting personnel.

As a result of the lightning strikes recorded in the area, the Algar Lake Complex will be responding to a new fire MWF086 located approximately 8 km north of the MWF069 perimeter. Aerial fire suppression efforts were underway this afternoon with the skimmers on site, followed by bucketing helicopters. At this time, here are no immediate concerns created by this new fire. For updates on its size and location, see the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

The next few days are expected to bring temperatures above thirty degrees along with lower relative humidity values. Weather conditions will continue to be favorable for significant fire behavior and fire spread.

A high of 32 degrees Celsius is expected tomorrow, with relative humidity values potentially dipping to 30 per cent. Southwesterly winds shifting to westerly mid-afternoon are forecast, with a possibility of afternoon gusts of up to 30 km/h. There is no precipitation anticipated.

Progressively warmer and drier conditions are expected to continue throughout the week, increasing the continued potential for more intense fire behaviour.

There are 157 personnel from Alberta, New Brunswick and Ontario assigned to the Algar Lake Complex. Among them are forest firefighters, heavy equipment operators, structure protection staff and a 15-person incident management team.

Operations that had been ongoing on the southwest portion of the perimeter have concluded and by this afternoon, all fire crews were working on the northeast corner MWF069, more generally on the east side of the fire to limit fire spread eastward toward Highway 63.

CrewsBoardHelicopterAtStaging

(Ontario FireRangers who had been working on the southwest corner of the fire, prepare to climb aboard a medium helicopter at the staging area, prior to joining the rest of the Algar Lake Complex firefighting team on the northeast corner of the perimeter. Photo taken early afternoon, July 16, 2024)

Seven helicopters are assigned to the incident. Among them are two helicopters equipped with belly tanks with the capacity to drop water onto active areas of the fire; helicopters that are bucketing water on hot spots and supporting wildland firefighting crews on the ground; transport helicopters for personnel; as well as helicopters that are conducting slinging operations to move equipment to and from active work sites.

Heavy equipment crews that had been working on widening contingency lines in the area of the AOC road east of the fire have wrapped up this portion of their operations. They have joined the rest of heavy equipment operators on the eastern side of the fire perimeter.

This complex has created a large smoke column which has been visible in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas. Smoke is expected to increase throughout week due to the forecast conditions.

Working on the fireline is physically demanding and when combined with high temperatures there is an increased risk of heat stress. Over the coming days, it will be important for firefighters and emergency response staff to ensure proper hydration, pacing themselves and monitoring for potential signs of heat illness. Safety is always the first priority.

Download the 511 app to stay up to date on any road closures in Alberta. This wildfire could impact visibility on Highway 63, always drive with extreme caution.

MCX004 - Rabbit Lake Complex

MWF060, MWF078, and MWF074)

MWF060 is located approximately 6 km east of the Slave Lake Forest Area border and the Fort McMurray Forest Area border. It is also and estimated to be 5007 ha in size. This wildfire is classified as out of control and was caused by lightning.

MWF074 is located northeast of MWF060, is 0.2 ha in size and is classified as out of control.

MWF078 is located southwest of MWF060, is 120 ha in size, and is classified as out of control.

Currently, we have 24 firefighters and five helicopters working to contain this complex.

Today, MWF060 showed extreme fire behaviour. This was due to hot and dry weather conditions. To ensure the safety of our firefighters, they were pulled off the line. Tomorrow, we anticipate more extreme fire behaviour.

(The Rabbit Lake complex was fairly quiet for fire behaviour, July 15, 2024)

Fire Ban banner

A fire ban is in effect as of 4 p.m. on July 10 in the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Fort McMurray Forest Area, due to hot and dry conditions.

Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.

Under this fire ban:

All fire permits are suspended or cancelled.
No new fire permits will be issued.
Some allowances can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, if approved by a forest officer.

Prohibited:

All outdoor wood fires, including wood campfires on public land, private land, designated campgrounds, and backyard firepits
Barbeque charcoal briquettes
Fireworks and exploding targets

Allowed:

Propane/natural gas-powered appliances
Indoor wood fires inside a structure (such as a facility, building, tent or RV) and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
Open flame oil devices (such as deep fryers and tiki torches). All devices must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards.

We want to remind everyone that along with the rest of the forest area, there should be absolutely no wood campfires, charcoal barbeque, fireworks, or exploding targets in the Richardson backcountry. Conditions are very dry and hot and we want to reduce the chance of new wildfires starting.

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

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

See the fire ban factsheet.

More information on the fire ban for Fort McMurray's Urban Service Area

For more information, visit Alberta Fire Bans.

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See the forecasted fire danger map

FORT MCMURRAY WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2024 there have been 86 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, burning a total of approximately 137,894 hectares (ha).

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 150 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF068 was discovered on July 10 and is located approximately 4.5 km east of the High Level Forest Area border and 13 km north of the Slave Lake Forest Area border. It is classified as being held and is estimated to be 100 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 2,300 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 400 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.

MWF065 was discovered July 9 and is located approximately 7 km southeast of Highway 63 and approximately 3.4 km from Maqua Lake. It is classified as under control and is estimated to be 6 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

MWF067 was discovered on July 10 and is located approximately 4 km southwest of Gregoire Lake 176. It is classified as under control and is currently 0.3 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

For up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation, visit Alberta Wildfire Status.

SAFETY AROUND SKIMMERS (Water Bombers)

If you're planning to be out on the lake this weekend, please keep in mind that skimmer planes are often using various lakes to refill with water.

This is another critical resource for firefighting operations, so we ask anyone on water bodies to stay alert and watch out for skimmers. If you see a skimmer coming towards a water body, ensure you get within 30 metres of shore so they can safely refill.

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DRONES are not allowed to be flown within 5 nautical miles (or 9.3 kilometers) of a wildfire.

If you fly a drone within this distance of a wildfire, it immediately halts firefighting operations because it is not safe to be flying with drones in the air. The penalty for interfering with wildfire control operations can land you a court appearance, for more information go to the Government of Alberta website.
For more information from Transport Canada about drones near wildfires, visit Transport Canada's website.

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