The wildfire danger is Extreme today and a Fire weather advisory is in effect for the area. Caution is advised in forested areas today as fires will become large quickly and be tough to control.
Alberta Emergency Alert | May 16 @ 9:30 a.m.
A mandatory evacuation notice and State of Local Emergency have been issued in the M.D. of Greenview south of the Hamlet of Little Smoky, effective immediately. Both sides of Highway 43 are being evacuated in Township 66 21 5 south of the Iosegun River and all of Township 65 21 5.
Authorities will be contacting residents in the affected area directly. Evacuees are to report to the reception centre at the Paradise Inn, Valleyview. Small animals can be brought to the Paradise Inn. The Fox Creek Fire Department is assisting with the evacuation and the evacuation of larger animals can be coordinated with them.
The Valleyview Agricultural Society has arranged to shelter large animals at the Valleyview Agricultural Grounds. Further updates will be provided when information becomes available.
The evacuation order does not apply to the Town of Fox Creek or the Hamlet of Little Smoky at this time.
For current information regarding alerts, see mdgreenview.ab.ca or http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/.
You can also follow the M.D. of Greenview on thier FaceBook page, Twitter @mdgreenview16
Local smoke and smoke from a wildfire fire burning west of Fort St.John will be brought to the area from south west and west winds expected in the coming days. Anyone with health concerns should check the Alberta Health Services or call 811 for 24/7 health advise from Alberta Health Link. For a smoke forecast map use Western Canada Smoke
MAY 13 - OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE RESTRICTION AND FIRE BAN LIFTED FOR CALGARY
Due to recent precipitation and cooler temperatures the off-highway vehicle (OHV) restriction and Fire Ban have been lifted for the Calgary Forest Area (CFA) and parts of the Rocky Mountain House section of the Forest Protection Area (FPA), however a Fire Advisory is in place and no fire permits will be issued. A Fire Ban remains in place for the rest of the Province of Alberta, including the Grande Prairie Forest Area. Existing Fire Permits are canceled and no new fire permits will be issued. For full details, visit albertafirebans.ca.
Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Restriction in Effect
The Government of Alberta has imposed a temporary OHV recreational use restriction in parts of the province to support wildfire suppression. Ministerial Order
The OHV restriction only applies to recreational use on public lands and provincial parks, including designated OHV trails. It will not apply to agriculture, commercial/industrial or Indigenous peoples who use OHVs for farming, business operations or traditional use, respectively.
During times of extreme wildfire danger and current Fire Bans, there are steps you can take in your day-to-day operations to help prevent a wildfire:
- Defer any non-essential use.
- Use an early shift configuration where operations stop at noon, before the heat of the day and the peak wildfire-burning period.
- Establish “Active Monitoring” practices – once you have completed operations with heavy equipment, stay in place and watch for flames or smoke for at least 30 minutes. This will help you make sure that the work didn’t start a wildfire.
For information about wildfires in Alberta follow us on Twitter @ABGovWildfire or Facebook. Download the Alberta Wildfire app for Apple and Android devices.
Kelly Burke | Area Information Coordinator
Grande Prairie Forest Area
780-538-5327 (office) | 780-832-7235 (mobile)