A fire ban remains in effect for the forest protection area of Alberta, including the High Level Forest Area.
The forest area may experience heavy smoke over communities at times. Contact 811 for wildfire and smoke-related health concerns.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE (3473).
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.
*The next update will be available tomorrow evening, unless conditions change.
Sharon has joined the logistics group in the High Level Forest Area. She is from the Country Fire Authority, North West Region - District 2 out of Bendigo. Victoria, Australia. A heartfelt thanks to our partners in Australia for sending us additional support to Alberta this week (July 26, 2024).
HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | WILDFIRE SITUATION
The wildfire danger in the High Level Forest Area is now HIGH. This means that forest fuels are dry and fire risk is serious. Moderate to vigorous surface fire is expected, which may spread to treetops. Conditions may be challenging for fire suppression efforts.
There are currently 32 wildfires burning in the High Level Forest Area. Of these, 11 are out of control, 10 are being held, and 11 are classified as under control. Two of these wildfires are carry-over fires from the 2023 season. There are also two wildfires along borders: one shared with B.C. and one with the N.W.T.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 151 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 264,043 hectares (ha).
NASA FIRMS Fire Information website is a great resource to give an approximate location of hotspots in an area, but cannot always be used to determine specifically where a wildfire is burning. The heat from smoke columns, reflections from water and other heat signatures will appear on the map. It's important to note that the data is based on a mathematical estimate (interpolation) and can often make a wildfire appear larger than it actually is.
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
Tomorrow, we expect a high of 26C along with a relative humidity of 40 percent. Tonight, very strong and gusty winds from the west-northwest 40 km/h gusting up to 70 km/h will persist into the evening, diminishing in the morning. The afternoon should see winds from the southwest 15-20 km/h. There is a possibility of some precipitation.
HCX001 – Semo Complex (HWF053, HWF061, HWF081, HWF083, HWF136 and HWF141)
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. An Incident Management Team is in place on this wildfire complex, and response efforts are being aided by firefighters from as far away as Alaska and Australia. Additional resources are enroute to replace fire crews and personnel who will be timing out in the coming days.
There are currently 324 firefighters and support personnel, 15 helicopters and 73 pieces of heavy equipment currently working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
HWF061 is a lightning-caused wildfire currently burning OUT OF CONTROL and was last estimated to be 96,578 hectares (ha). This wildfire is approximately 19 km northeast of the community of John D'Or Prairie, approximately 15 km north of the community of Fox Lake, and an estimated 1.9 km north of Highway 58.
HWF136 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL at approximately 5,470 ha in size. This wildfire is now located adjacent to Highway 58, due to successful ignition operations on July 21. It remains north of Highway 58 and is an estimated 13 km northwest of Garden River.
HWF053 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. This wildfire is located directly above HWF061 and is estimated to be 709 ha in size. This wildfire is currently being monitored.
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.
Wildfire Operations
It rained throughout last night and has been raining off and on today across the Semo Wildfire Complex. Precipitation amounts varied across the complex, but enough precipitation fell to significantly reduce fire activity for several days.
Some areas of the complex got considerably more rain than others, particularly, key spots along the southern perimeter may have gotten just a handful of millimetres. Precipitation is favourable news – it was very much needed and allows fire specialists and firefighters on-the-ground to make some good progress.
Strong, gusting winds impacted operations and limited most helicopter use today. The gusty winds created dangerous conditions for firefighters working on-the-ground. Very large trees were falling at a rapid rate, increasing the risks of equipment and firefighters being hit or impacted. Despite this, firefighters were able to access the spot fire at the furthest southern portion of HWF061 for the first time and began to establish line (build pump sites for water and lay hose), with the support of heavy equipment operators. HWF136 received a lot of precipitation overnight and early today and will be one of the main targets the next time a low-level, heat scanning drone is used. These drones find heat (hotspots) and operators are able to attach those heat signatures to co-ordinates on a map, which firefighters can then use to pinpoint hotspots and extinguish them in a very efficient way.
Heavy equipment operators were hard at work today and will keep the same missions going tomorrow as they complete access routes north of Highway 58, assisting with accessibility directly to the southern perimeter of HWF061.
Tonight, a night vision helicopter has been requested and, if conditions permit, will bucket key areas of HWF061’s southern perimeter with water. One Structure Protection Unit (SPU) team will be on night watch, patrolling Highway 58 for ember spread or spot fires and will action if needed.
Weather Forecast | Semo Complex
Cooler weather continues today and into this evening, with a high of 15C, and overnight, just 10C. The strong, gusting winds will start to diminish in the early hours of the morning and return to more typical speeds. Tomorrow’s high will be 22C, with a relative humidity (RH) of 40. We may see a small amount of precipitation on Sunday, with the forecast reaching 23C and a RH of 45.
Evacuation alerts and orders
Evacuation orders are now in effect for LRRCN communities. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) advises that Garden River is under an evacuation order, as of July 10. 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 Alberta Emergency Alert.
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/.
Expand (click) to view the full public map of the Semo wildfire complex.
HCX003 - MELVIN RIVER COMPLEX | HTZ001, HWF030, HWF047, HWF065, HWF072, HWF075, HWF091 and HWF092
An incident management team is responsible for the personnel and resources assigned to the Melvin River Complex and its eight wildfires. There are currently 118 personnel, 20 helicopters and six pieces of heavy equipment working on the wildfires within this complex. The wildfires in this complex do not currently threaten any communities.
No growth has been observed on any of the wildfires in this complex in the past few days. Visibility has improved considerably, allowing for air and ground operations to continue working on all wildfires.
Infrared scanning was conducted on HWF030 last night to confirm the size and detect hotspots on the wildfires. Firefighters will be actioning the hotspots in priority areas, mostly within the first 100 feet surrounding the perimeter.
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 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. Some reassessments of structural protection are ongoing and today eight firefighters worked on hotspots.
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.
All the following wildfires within the Melvin River Complex have been determined to be caused by lightning.
HWF092 is located approximately 55 km north of the Town of High Level, is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area of 49 ha. With smoke clearing, the much-improved visibility has allowed ground and air access with some heli-bucketing, as conditions permit.
HWF091 is located NW of HWF065, is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 3,492 ha. Monitoring of this wildfire is ongoing.
HWF072 is approximately 60 km northwest of Chateh, is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is estimated to cover an area 18,170 ha in size. With smoke clearing, the much-improved visibility has allowed ground and air access with some heli-bucketing, as conditions permit.
HWF065 is currently BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 36,067 ha in size. This wildfire is about 2 km southwest of Bistcho Lake and was determined to have been caused by lightning.
HWF047 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is now estimated to cover an area of 1,707 ha in size, after some growth was observed on the east side. This wildfire was determined to have been caused by lightning. Much-improved visibility has allowed ground and air access with some heli-bucketing, as conditions permit. Ground crews are working to complete containment on the west side of this wildfire.
HWF030 is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 3,221 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation. Heavy equipment work continues on perimeter areas of this wildfire. Much-improved visibility has allowed easier ground access. Fire crews continue their work on expanding containment lines to 100 feet, which is aimed at moving areas from containment to controlled, as conditions permit.
OTHER WILDFIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
None of these other wildfires in the area (below) currently threaten any communities.
HWF146 is burning OUT OF CONTROL located 25 km east-southeast of Zama City. It is estimated to be 35 ha in size.
HWF145 is now BEING HELD located 24 km east-southeast of Zama City. It is estimated to be 26 ha in size.
Ground resources are established in Zama City and assigned to HWF145 and HWF146. There are 21 firefighters and three helicopters working the day shift, establishing hose and extinguishing hotspots. There are also two dozer bosses assisting heavy equipment both on day and night shift. They're working on the fire perimeter building containment line and digging out burnt areas to extinguish.
HWF133 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and estimated to be 336 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation.
HWF121 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and estimated to be 6,790 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation.
HWF115 is classified as BEING HELD, which means that given current weather conditions and resources, the wildfire is not anticipated to grow past expected boundaries. It's now estimated to be 15 ha in size. There are 18 firefighters, two helicopters and one heavy equipment group working on this wildfire, establishing hose along the dozer containment line and extinguishing hotspots.
HWF102 is BEING HELD and estimated to be 6,958 ha in size. The fire was determined to have been caused by lightning.
To view these and other wildfires in the province, view our interactive map by following the active wildfire link.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE SITUATION (as of 10 a.m., July 26)
The fire danger is low to moderate across the southern boreal and foothills. It is extreme in the northeast and south parts of the province and the agricultural zone.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 977 wildfires burning a total of 550,648 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 917 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,179,802 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 766 wildfires had burnt an average of 628,587 ha.
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.
Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see if a fire ban or restriction is in place in your area and learn what is prohibited and allowed under this ban.
The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.
FIRE PERMITS REQUIRED
At this time, the High Level Forest Area is not issuing any permits. All existing permits are currently suspended.
High Level Forest Area | Permit Line: 780-926-5407. Stay informed of fire restrictions and fire bans in your area by checking Alberta Fire Bans.
DANGEROUS TREES | Be extra cautious near burnt areas and avoid forested areas that have been recently affected by wildfire. Hazards remain from deep ash pits, burning peat and falling trees or branches, especially if windy.
SMOKE | Lingering smoke may still be visible in some areas and in affected communities. Smoke inversions can trap air near the ground causing dangerous driving conditions and poor air quality. Please use extra caution when driving in smoky conditions. To see forecasted smoke, please visit FireSmoke.ca. If you have smoke related health concerns, please visit or contact Alberta 811.
ALBERTA HEALTH WILDFIRE RESOURCES | You can visit Alberta Health Services for information on how you or your loved ones can access resources related to wildfire impacts and smoke concerns.
DRONES | The use of recreational drones over wildfires in Alberta is dangerous, illegal and could result in a fine of up to $15,000* for putting aircraft and people at risk. Please give firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. *Transport Canada.
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
- Download the Alberta Wildfire app today and get access to accurate, real-time information on wildfires in your area. You can also find information on fire advisories, restrictions and bans across the province and much more all on your mobile device. Available for Apple and Android.
- Before heading out, check the fire bans website or download the app to determine if there are any fire advisories, fire restrictions or fire bans in effect for your destination.
- Subscribe to the High Level Forest Area Update to receive an email when new information is posted. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
- Missed an issue of the High Level Forest area Wildfire Update? You can find previous updates on our website.
- For evacuation orders and alerts in the Province visit Alberta Emergency Alerts or your community webpage for more information.
- For road closure information, visit Alberta 511 or download the app.
- To see all the wildfires burning in Alberta click here.
- Learn how you can prepare yourself for a wildfire with some tips and tricks on wildfire preparedness.
