High Level Area Update

This update is best viewed on a web browser or the AB Wildfire Status App | View previous High Level Forest Area Updates. Bold indicates new or important information.

EVACUATION ALERTS AND ORDERS

The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) advises that Garden River is under an evacuation order, as of July 10. For more details, please visit https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx.

AEMA advises that the communities of John D'Or Prairie and Fox Lake are now also under an evacuation order (effective July 20). For more details, please visit https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx.

You can also follow Little Red River Cree Nation’s (LRRCN) Facebook page for updates at https://www.facebook.com/lrrcn or their website at https://lrrcn.ab.ca/ 

HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | WILDFIRE SITUATION 

HCX001 – Semo Complex (HWF053, HWF061, HWF081, HWF083, HWF136, HWF141, HWF143)

HCX001 – Semo Complex

The Semo Wildfire Complex is located north of John D'Or Prairie, Garden River and Fox Lake. A few of the wildfires in this complex are located within Caribou Mountains Provincial Park, between the Ponton and the Wentzel River. An Incident Management Team is in place on this wildfire complex, and response efforts are being aided by firefighters from Alaska, Ontario, P.E.I. and New Brunswick.

Foggy Mountain Lookout Tower, framed against a dark, orange sky, shows the low visibility that fire personnel have been experiencing on the Semo Wildfire Complex (July 20).

Weather Forecast | Semo Complex

Tomorrow, the forecast is calling for a high of 33 C with relative humidity (RH) of 25-30 percent. The winds will be from the N-NE at 10-15 km/hr. We can expect to see crossover conditions continuing in the coming days, with little to no precipitation in the forecast until next week.

Smoke and Ash

People in the region may see falling ash. It is likely that, if the current smoky conditions clear up, smoke columns may be visible tomorrow as hot and dry conditions persist. This is expected as the complex is under a fire behaviour advisory, meaning that fast moving fire is anticipated.

HWF053 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. It's estimated to be 709 ha in size. This wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning.

HWF061 is a lightning-caused wildfire currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. There was overnight growth on this wildfire and it is now estimated to be 95,197 hectares (ha).  This wildfire is now approximately 19 km northeast of John D'Or Prairie’s main community and approximately 15 km north of Fox Lake.

Fire activity today was lower than expected with minimal growth seen on this wildfire, likely aided by low-lying smoke. Earlier today, heavy equipment operators began widening Foggy Tower Road, which will allow the road to be used as a containment line. This evening and into tomorrow, heavy equipment will begin removing vegetation along the northern side of the Highway 58, which will help increase the effectiveness of the highway as a containment line.

Visibility continued to be a challenge today, but the smoke began to lift around 5 p.m. and fire specialists were able to assess a few areas of HWF061 from the air. If smoke clears tomorrow, fire activity is expected to remain intense, with hot and dry weather continuing for the next few days and little-to-no precipitation expected. The high temperatures and lower humidity will create cross-over conditions, which is when the relative humidity is lower than the temperature, creating more significant fire behaviour.

A structure protection unit began working in John D’or Prairie today and will continue implementing systems as equipment arrives. Structure protection resources continue to visit and service set-ups in Fox Lake and Garden River.

HWF136 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL at 4,137 ha in size. It is approximately 13 km northwest of Garden River and now 3.9 km north of Highway 58. Its cause remains under investigation. A crew of firefighters from Alaska began building containment lines in the area and Fritz Creek. The crew will continue their efforts tomorrow as conditions permit. This work will help fortify and repurpose the area as a barrier for both this wildfire and HWF061.

HWF143 is now classified as UNDER CONTROL (UC) at approximately 3 ha. It is located south of Highway 58, approximately 13 km west and slightly south of Garden River. Today. fire crews built on previous work done over the past few days and were able to get this wildfire’s status downgraded to UC.

Other fires on this complex are within or nearby Caribou Mountain Wildland Provincial Park. Most of these wildfires have been determined to be caused by lightning, but the newer ones’ causes remain under investigation. These fires will be monitored by fire personnel, with aircraft and further support as required. These wildfires include: HWF141, which is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL north of HWF061 and east of HWF081, covering approximately 2,038 ha; HWF081, which is OUT OF CONTROL and last estimated at 48,190 ha; and HWF083, which is OUT OF CONTROL at 32,840 ha. 

An excavator operator works to widen the access road to HWF136 on the Semo Wildfire Complex (July 20).

HCX002 - AMBER RIVER COMPLEX | BISTCHO LAKE (HTZ001), HWF030, HWF065, HWF072, HWF075 and HWF091

An incident management team is responsible for the personnel and resources assigned to the Amber River Complex and its seven wildfires: Bistcho Lake (HTZ001), HWF030, HWF065, HWF072, HWF074, HWF075 and HWF091). There are currently 69 personnel, 12 helicopters and five pieces of heavy equipment working on the wildfires within the Amber Complex. The wildfires in this complex do not currently threaten any communities.

Weather Forecast | Amber River Complex

There is a chance of thunderstorms tonight. Tomorrow, the weather forecast calls for a high of 30 C with a relative humidity of 35 percent and winds from the SW at 10-15 km/h. 

Smoke

Smoke columns may be visible for residents in nearby communities into the afternoon and evening as these times are usually peak burning periods. Intense fire behaviour can be expected over the next several days due to dry conditions. Smoke drift may be seen in communities where it hasn’t previously been seen due to shifting wind directions over the next couple days as well.

HTZ001 is a mutual aid wildfire that originated in the border zone with the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) in 2023. The BISTCHO LAKE section of HTZ001, which is estimated to cover an area of 95,000 ha, is actively burning on the NE and SE sides of Bistcho Lake, and its is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. Some reassessments of structural protection are ongoing.

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.

HWF030 is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 3,221 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation. Today, firefighters worked along the fires edge and in priority areas to help improve containment. 

HWF065 is currently BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 23,092 ha in size. This wildfire is about 2 km southwest of Bistcho Lake and was determined to have been caused by lightning.

HWF072 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is estimated to cover an area 7282 ha in size. This wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning. This wildfire, which is approximately 60 km northwest of Chateh, does not currently pose a threat to any communities. 

HWF075 is UNDER CONTROL and is estimated to cover an area 3 ha in size. This wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning.

HWF091, which is located NW of HWF065, is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 1602 ha. Monitoring continues on this wildfire for potential threats.

OTHER FIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA

HWF133 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is estimated to cover an area 336 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation.

HWF047 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is estimated to cover an area of 1400 ha in size. This wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning. Helicopters are assisting firefighters to contain this wildfire.

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

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 is the modification of wildland fuels for the purpose of mitigating the potential intensities and impact of wildfire. 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 wildfire's 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

• Visit firesmoke.ca to view smoke drifts in the area
• Call 811 for smoke related health concerns
• For evacuation information please visit https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-emergency-alert.aspx