A fire ban remains in effect for the High Level Forest Area – see details below.
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.
Firefighters work together along one of the perimeters of HWF061, which is part of the Semo Wildfire Complex, to expose and extinguish hot spots (July 29, 2024)
HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | WILDFIRE SITUATION
The wildfire danger in the High Level Forest Area remains 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, eight are out of control, 12 are being held, and 12 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 154 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 266,693 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.
WEATHER FORECAST Tomorrow, the area expects to see a high of 24C and relative humidity of 40 percent. Winds from the SW at 15-20 km/h are forecasted.
HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | ACTIVE WILDFIRES OF INTEREST
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. Firefighting efforts are supported by personnel from as far away as Alaska, Mexico and Australia. The Incident Management Team will be transitioning with an incoming team tomorrow.
There are currently 440 firefighters and support personnel, 20 helicopters and 70 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 97,506 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 6,188 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 2,300 ha; HWF081, which is OUT OF CONTROL and last estimated at 49,901 ha; and HWF083, which is OUT OF CONTROL at 32,840 ha.
Wildfire Operations
Overnight, a high-level scan was conducted of the fire complex perimeters, which helps fire specialists understand varying fire intensity and activity throughout as well as show where higher concentrations of hot spots are. This higher-level scan will be used to inform target areas for low-level drone scanning in the coming days.
The wildfire complex area saw between 0-2.5 mm of precipitation overnight and into this morning, which will help firefighting efforts. Precipitation gives firefighters a chance to make progress on establishing line and extinguishing hot spots. Many areas of the fires remain active and require sustained, very hard, detail-oriented work by firefighters on-the-ground to contain the wildfires. This work takes time to complete. The rain alone is not enough to extinguish or put out areas of the fires, as we’ve seen in recent days from the higher and lower-level heat-sensing scans.
Firefighters, heavy equipment operators and helicopters with bucketing capability made progress today and will spend tomorrow in the same areas, working further to achieve goals and objectives along the southern perimeter of HWF061 and along HWF136’s perimeter.
Today, crews continued on four key areas on HWF061 – working east from Lawerence Creek along the southwestern edge. As fire crews progressed westward off Foggy Tower Road, other firefighters worked in the middle of the southern side alongside heavy equipment operators while crews also advanced around the southern part of the spot fire closest to Highway 58. On HWF136, firefighters continued their work to secure the eastern perimeter.
In the communities, the Structure Protection Unit (SPU) continued its work to maintain, test and add onto systems. One team from the SPU, joined by fire trucks from Little Red River Cree Nation, runs night watch overnight, with the goal of mitigating ember spread or spot fires and ultimately prevent overnight growth. This is out of an abundance of caution, so operational staff prepared if this occurs.
Weather Forecast | Semo Complex
Today, temperatures were predicted to reach a maximum of 18 C, but likely hit the low 20-range. Overnight, we’ll see a low of 9 C with a relative humidity (RH) of 90%. Winds are starting out stronger, coming from the NW at 15 km/hr with gusts up to 30 km/hr and tapering off to just 5-10 km/hr by midnight. This week will be quite cool, with a high of 21 anticipated for tomorrow and high teens for the rest of the week.
A firefighter works along the southwestern perimeter of HWF061, which is part of the Semo Wildfire Complex, using hand tools to expose hot spots and expedite extinguishment when using water and hose (July 29, 2024).
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, HWF092, HWF145, HWF146 and HWF155
An incident management team is responsible for the personnel and resources assigned to the Melvin River Complex and its eight wildfires. There are currently 150 firefighters and support personnel, 20 helicopters and six pieces of heavy equipment working on the wildfires within this complex. This includes the 42 firefighters from Mexico that joined the other fire crews on the complex Sunday.
After increased fire behaviour yesterday, some rain overnight has dampened fire activity; however, the area will need more precipitation for this to continue. Hotter temperatures, wind and lower relative humidity will dry fine fuels and allow for enhanced burning potential.
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. Firefighters continue to search for and extinguish hotspots in key areas.
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.
HWF155 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL. The wildfire is located north (2 km) of the intersection of the Zama highway and west (1.5 km) from highway 35. It's 16.5 km north of Meander River and 57 km east of Zama City. It is estimated to be 30 ha in size. The wildfire showed very little wildfire activity today.
Heavy equipment continues working day and night to build a containment line using dozers. A night-vision helicopter is assisting with water-tanking operations, as available. Firefighters are continuing to search for and extinguish hotspots.
HWF146 is now BEING HELD 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, working on the fire perimeter building containment line and digging out burnt areas to extinguish.
HWF092 is BEING HELD and is estimated to be 49 ha in size. It is located approximately 55 km north of the Town of High Level. Firefighters are working on completing the containment lines around this wildfire and making good progress.
HWF091 is located NW of HWF065, is BEING HELD and is estimated to cover an area 3,452 ha. Monitoring of this wildfire is ongoing.
HWF072 is burning OUT OF CONTROL, located 45 km west of Zama City and 60 km northwest of Chateh. It is estimated to be 18,170 ha in size. This wildfire showed increased fire behaviour today on the eastern perimeter, mostly to the northeast. Helicopters worked alongside firefighters to suppress fire behaviour and will return again tomorrow to assess priority areas and measure growth.
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 the closest edge of the wildfire is 37 km north-northwest of Zama City. Increased fire activity was observed on this wildfire, mostly on the northeastern side, south-southwest of Bistcho Lake.
HWF047 is burning OUT OF CONTROL and is estimated to be 1,707 ha in size. Firefighters will be focusing their efforts on the west side of the wildfire, further establishing their containment lines.
HWF030 is BEING HELD and is estimated to be 3,221 ha in size. The closest edge of the wildfire is 10 km to the northwest of Zama City but does not post a threat to the community. Firefighters will be re-enforcing their containment lines with a priority on the south and east side of the wildfire to prevent the spread towards any communities. Firefighters will continue to action the hotspots in priority areas that were found in the infrared scanning this week. Most of them are within the first 100 feet surrounding the perimeter. Very little fire activity was observed today on this wildfire.
The wildfires in the Melvin Complex do not currently threaten any communities and have all been determined to be caused by lightning.
OTHER ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
HWF133 is now BEING HELD and estimated to be 336 ha in size. The cause of this fire is under investigation.
HWF121 is now BEING HELD 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 16 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.
None of these wildfires listed above currently threaten any communities. 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 29)
The fire danger is moderate across northern Alberta except for the northwestern part of Alberta being high to very high. It’s very high to extreme across southern Alberta.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 992 wildfires burning a total of 557,015 (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 922 wildfires that burnt a total of 1,742,72 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 785 wildfires had burnt an average of 541,193 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.
