Grande Prairie Area Update (69)

The wildfire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area is now MODERATE.

Alberta Wildfire continues to assist the County of Grande Prairie with a mutual aid fire that started four km east of the town of Teepee Creek. The Kleskun Creek Fire (GCU 007) is 1,382 hectares and is now being held.

Rain and cooler temperatures have helped firefighters today. The Kleskun Creek Fire received almost 8 millimeters of rain overnight. A heat scan of the perimeter showed minimal hotspots with only four trouble spots were found today as compared to 20 spots found the day before.

Firefighters will continue to secure the perimeter with pumps, hose and hand tools and work 30 meters into the interior as they grind and *cold trail and extinguish the fire.
More rain is expected in the next 24 hours which will continue to help suppression efforts.

*Cold Trailing: A method of determining whether or not a fire is still burning, involving careful inspection and feeling with the hand, or by use of a hand-held infrared scanner, to detect any heat source.

Wildfire Smoke

Smoke from wildfires in northern British Columbia and Alberta might continue to move into the Slave Lake Forest Area. Anyone with health concerns should visit Alberta Health Services or call 811 for health advice from Alberta Health Link. Visit www.firesmoke.ca to see where the smoke is coming from and to view wildfires on a map, download the AB Wildfire App or visit the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.

Wildfire information

Since January 1, 2024, 31 wildfires have been reported in the Grande Prairie Forest Area burning nearly 182.30 hectares.

GWF029 This wildfire started 13 km northwest of the town of Valhalla. This wildfire is now listed as being held at 100 hectares. Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots within the perimeter of the fire.

2022 OHV Can cause wildfires Dirt Bike

2023 carryover wildfires

There are currently three carryover fires from the 2023 wildfire season. All carryover wildfires are listed as under control and are being monitored by firefighters.

Smoke from British Columbia wildfires are impacting much of the provincial air operations today. To see forecasted smoke, you can visit FireSmoke.ca.

Fire Ban wide

A fire ban is in place for the Grande Prairie Forest Area due to dry conditions and expected weather.

Under this ban:
• All existing fire permits are suspended (or cancelled)
• No new fire permits will be issued

Prohibited:
• All outdoor wood fires are banned, including wood campfires on public lands, wood campfires on private land and provincial campgrounds
• Backyard firepits
• BBQ charcoal briquettes
• The use of fireworks and exploding targets

Allowed:
• Propane/natural gas-powered appliances
• Open flame oil devices (e.g., turkey deep fryers, tiki torches)
• Indoor wood fires contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
• All appliances must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards

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

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

For more information: Fire Restriction Fact Sheet
MO-015 Fire Restriction (revised boundary) and MO-016 Fire Ban map

c7202_Drones_4b_16-9_1920x1080

Drones are not allowed to be flown 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.

wildfire app (2)

Download the Alberta Wildfire app today and get access to real-time information on wildfires in your area. You can also find information on reporting wildfire, fire bans and fire updates across the province and much more all on your mobile device.

Available for Apple and Android.

To view wildfires on a map, download the AB Wildfire App or visit the Alberta Wildfire

Status Dashboard

Preparing in advance can keep you safe and comfortable, and help you get back to your normal life and work more quickly. It also helps others because emergency responders can focus on helping those who need it the most.

Find active alerts, archived alerts, and details about the Alberta Emergency Alert system here. Albertans who require assistance can call 310-4455 for wildfire related information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Translation services are available to provide information services in languages other than English.

Getting the information at the right time helps you respond quickly and
appropriately. Get alerts by downloading the Alberta Emergency Alert app and visit Alerts and ad visories to learn what other alerting services are available.

When wildfire danger is low to moderate, updates will be issued weekly. However, when the danger escalates to high or extreme levels, updates will be provided daily if fires are active and/ or out of control. Expect your next wildfire update on May 15, 2024, unless conditions change.

Kelly Burke | Wildfire Information Officer

(780) 832-7235

kelly.burke@gov.ab.ca