High Level Area Update

If you see smoke or flame in the forest and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (3473) to report it.

There are 33 firefighters, six helicopters and 12 pieces of heavy equipment working towards containing HWF100 (July 6, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.)

A fire restriction is in place for the High Level and Fort McMurray Forest Areas.

Under this restriction:

• Existing fire permits are restricted, suspended or cancelled and no new fire permits will be issued.
• Safe wood campfires within fire rings in campgrounds are allowed.

Prohibited on public lands, including backcountry and random camping areas:

• All outdoor wood fires.
• Fires fueled exclusively by charcoal briquettes.
• The use of fireworks and exploding targets.

Allowed in designated campgrounds on private and public land, designated day use areas and on privately owned land:

• Safe wood campfires.
• Backyard fire pits, charcoal briquette barbeques.
• Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances CSA approved or UL certified.

HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | WILDFIRE SITUATION 

The wildfire danger in the High Level Forest Area remains VERY HIGH. This means that high-intensity fire is expected and likely to spread to treetops. Wildfire behavior will challenge suppression efforts today.

There are currently 43 wildfires burning in the High Level Forest Area. Of these, 15 are out of control, 14 are being held, and 12 are classified as under control. Two of these wildfires are carry-over fires from the 2023 season. Additionally, there are two wildfires along borders: one shared with B.C. and one with the N.W.T. 

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 103 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 31,037 hectares (ha).

You can view the location and statistics of these wildfires on our interactive map by following the active wildfire link. Visit our website to learn more about wildfire classifications.

HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | ACTIVE WILDFIRES OF INTEREST

WEATHER FORECAST Today, a max of 27C and 30% relative humidity was observed in much of the forest area. Winds from the north-northwest 15 km/h may pushed some of the wildfires towards the south east. Very little precipitation is expected in the coming days along with hot temperatures and low relative humidity. This weather may create crossover conditions. This means that the temperatures will be higher then the relative humidity, which could allow for increased fire activity.

Tomorrow, similar weather conditions are expected with max of 28C and 25% relative humidity. Winds from the south-southwest 15 km/h could push the wildfires back onto themselves, helping contain the fires.

HWF047 (Melvin River) is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL approximately 40 km north-northeast of the town of High Level and 25 km east of Highway 35. The wildfire is now estimated to be 1,375 ha in size. The wildfire does not currently pose a threat to any communities and its cause is under investigation.

There are 139 firefighters and support staff, along with 13 helicopters associated to this wildfire. An incident management team remains in command of its assigned personnel and resources. 

Helicopters are assigned primarily to bucketing operations and are currently focused on the north side of the fire. Airtankers were used earlier today, dropping retardant over the northeast area of the fire. Firefighters and helicopters are continuing to make progress; however, the anticipated weather on Sunday and into next week, including crossover conditions (where temperatures exceed relative humidity), may present challenges. 

HWF065 is currently BEING HELD and estimated to be 1,820 ha in size. The wildfire is located 50 km northwest from Zama City. This wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning.

HWF099 is now classified as BEING HELD and estimated to be 15 ha in size. The wildfire is located 18 km west of Footner Lake and 23 km northwest of High Level. 

HWF100 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL is now estimated to be 581 ha in size. The wildfire is located 21 km northeast of Rainbow Lake and 25 km west of Chateh. There are 25 firefighters, six helicopters and 12 pieces of heavy equipment actioning the wildfire today. Airtankers were able to do three successful drops on today and will be requested again tomorrow when they can be used effectively. There was some growth again today but the perimeter has not grown closer to any community.

Firefighters will continue to lay hose and contain the spread of the fire. Once the wet line is established, they'll work their way in searching for and extinguishing hotspots with pumps and hose. Heavy equipment has made good progress completing the south guard and working their way around.

HWF102 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL and estimated to be 879 ha in size. The wildfire is located 34 km southeast of Tall Cree South and 38 km east of Wadlin Lake. There are four firefighters and one helicopter assigned to the wildfire. 

SEMO WILDFIRE COMPLEX | HWF053, HWF061, HWF081, HWF083

The Semo Wildfire Complex is located north of John D'Or Prairie, Garden River and Fox Lake. It includes the Caribou Mountains P.P, between the Ponton and the Wentzel River. This wildfire is currently being overseen by an incident management team. Additional resources have been requested and will be arriving in the coming days.

Tomorrow, the weather forecast is calling for temperatures of 25C with a relative humidity of 35% with winds out of the southwest at 10-15 km/h with gusts reaching a potential 30 km/h.

HWF053 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL approximately 50 km northeast of John D'or Prairie, 36 km northwest of Garden River and 30 north of Fox Lake. It's estimated to be 525 ha in size. There is no threat to any communities at this time; the wildfire remains under investigation.

HWF061 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL 38 km northeast of Jon D'or, 29 km north of Fox Lake and 35 km northwest of Garden River. At this time the fire does not pose a threat to any community. The wildfire is now estimated to be 12,017 ha in size and caused by lightning. Due to activity on HWF081 and HWF083 fire intensity and spread was subdued and HWF061 did not appear to spread further south this afternoon.

Tomorrow, heavy equipment operators will travel towards the southwest side of the fire to gain better access. Helicopters will continue to bucket along the north side of the fire as they work to secure the west side and down towards the south. Firefighters will begin actioning the fire when safe zones are completed and are ready to access. Due to poor visibility from smoke, airtankers will not be effective with fire fighting operations.

HWF081 is OUT OF CONTROL at 1,853 ha. There are safe access points for crews to action this wildfire and they will continue to work on the south and west perimeter and work inwards. The fire is actively spreading southeast. 

HWF083 is OUT OF CONTROL at 5,280 ha and grew significantly today under clear and dry conditions. The spread was observed to move east and slightly south as it searched for fuel in between the many streams and lakes in the area.

All of these wildfires are within the Caribou Mountain Wildland P.P. and have been determined to be caused by lightning. These wildfires are located approximately 55 km north of John D'Or Prairie.

There are 87 firefighters and support staff, eight helicopters and 16 pieces of heavy equipment assigned to the Semo Complex. Additional resources are on the way to support firefighting activities.

Firefighters loading their equipment to fly to HWF081 (July 6, 2024).

AMBER RIVER COMPLEX | HWF030, HWF072, HWF075, HWF076, HWF089, HWF101

There are 100 firefighters, seven helicopters and heavy equipment assigned to this wildfire complex, with personnel and resources now focused on HWF072 due to its size and growth. An incident management team is in command of the personnel and resources assigned to the Amber River Complex and its six wildfires. 

Although no significant winds are forecast in the short term, crossover conditions (where temperatures exceed relative humidity) are expected in the next few days, which will likely increase fire activity.

HWF072 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and now estimated to be 2,700 ha in size. This wildfire is approximately 78 km northwest of Chateh and about 60 km west of Zama City. The wildfire does not currently pose a threat to any communities and its cause is under investigation.

Increased perimeter growth due to high fire activity was observed today with additional growth expected in the coming days. Airtankers were used today and, along with heli-bucketing, are planned for use again tomorrow. These aerial fire suppression activities, and those of firefighters on the ground, will be augmented by dozers and support vehicles once this heavy equipment arrives on scene over the next 24-48 hours.

HWF030 is currently now UNDER CONTROL. This wildfire is located approximately 8.5 km southwest of Zama City and estimated to be 3,200 ha. The cause of this wildfire remains under investigation. 

To view these and other wildfires in the province, view our interactive map by following the active wildfire link. 

HTZ001 (Cameron Hills) is a mutual aid wildfire that originated in the border zone with the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) in 2023. The Alberta portion of this fire, south of the border, is now classified as BEING HELD, which means that the wildfire is not expected to grow past its current boundaries.

This recent burn within the High Level Forest Area covers an estimated 30,520 hectares ha. Please see NWT Wildfire Update Map and the South Slave SS009-24 Update for more information on their activities and wildfire status in the N.W.T. area.

This wildfire may cause highway closures, visit Alberta 511 or download the app for up-to-date information. 

FireSmart is a national program that helps Canadians increase their resilience to wildfire. Whether you are a homeowner, resident, business, local government, or Indigenous community, you can take small steps with lasting impacts.

Vegetation management, broadly speaking, is the modification of wildland fuels (vegetation that can contribute to wildfire is known simply as ‘fuel’) for the purpose of mitigating the potential intensities and impact of wildfire. Intuitively vegetation management as a strategy for reducing wildfire hazard makes a lot of sense: wildfire requires fuel, in the form of vegetation, to burn; if we can change the fuel, we can change the wildfires behaviour. For suggestions on landscaping tips, you can view the FireSmart Guide to Landscaping. 

To learn more on how you can protect your home, visit FireSmart Alberta. For farm or acreages, you can download the Farm and Acreage FireSmart magazine.

WILDFIRE INFORMATION