The High Level Forest Area express its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the firefighter who tragically lost his life while serving in the Jasper area Saturday. His loss brings much sadness and is a poignant and fresh reminder of the dangers faced by our frontline firefighting personnel. As part of the Alberta Wildfire team, we join others across the province and beyond in recognizing his service to Alberta and his fellow citizens.
The High Level Forest Area is now under a FIRE RESTRICTION, as of Thursday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. – see details in orange below.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, please call 310-FIRE (3473) immediately.
AUGUST LONG WEEKEND – Alberta Wildfire would like to remind those heading out to our forested areas this weekend to be careful and responsible. The wildfire danger is growing in the province, so please be on high alert. If you are having a campfire, never leave it unattended and ensure it is fully extinguished before you leave.
RE-ENTRY FOR LRRCN COMMUNITIES – Chief Conroy Sewepagaham of the Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN) has announced re-entry for the communities of John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River for Aug. 5.
The forest area may experience heavy smoke over communities at times. Contact 811 for wildfire and smoke-related health concerns.
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.
Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see where fire bans or restrictions are in place in your area and learn what is prohibited and allowed under each.
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 31 wildfires burning in the High Level Forest Area. Of these, seven are out of control, 11 are being held, and 13 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 164 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 268,660 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 with relative humidity (RH) of 35 percent and winds from the north at 10 km/h and the south at 10-15 km/h. Some precipitation is likely over the next 24 hours.
An aerial view taken while heli-bucketing over targeted areas of HWF061 (Aug. 4, 2024). HWF061 is the wildfire closest to the communities of John D'Or Prairie and Fox Lake and has, therefore, been the top priority (along with HWF136 over towards Garden River) for those managing personnel and resources on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
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 Northwest Territories, Mexico and Australia. An Ontario Incident Management Team has control of the complex.
There are currently 457 firefighters and support personnel, 22 helicopters and 110 pieces of heavy equipment working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
Chief Conroy Sewepagaham of the Little Red River Cree Nation has announced re-entry for the communities of John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake, and Garden River for tomorrow (Monday), August 5.
HWF061 is a lightning-caused wildfire currently burning OUT OF CONTROL and was last estimated to be 97,526 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 6,135 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.
Fire Operations
This afternoon, firefighters, heavy equipment operators and helicopters with bucketing capability maintained efforts to achieve goals and objectives along the southern perimeter of HWF061 and HWF136’s perimeters.
A substantial amount of work has been done on the southern end of HWF061. The guard has been completed from 2km west of Foggy Tower Road, heading eastward up to and past the Wentzel River, and wrapped down and around the spot fire closest to Highway 58 – up to its east side. Heavy equipment will be continuing the guard on the south end of the perimeter of HWF061, heading east in between the main perimeter and the spot fire’s perimeter. Heavy equipment will also be working on the guard on the east side of HWF061 heading south in the coming days.
On HWF136, firefighters and helicopter bucketing efforts remain on the northeast perimeter identifying and extinguishing hot spots. Heavy equipment operators continue to push the guard along the top end of the fire and are now rounding the perimeter to the west side. Equipment operators will now begin another guard on the south side of HWF136, heading west to eventually tie into the guard coming from the northwest end of the perimeter.
Night operations are ongoing again tonight with heavy equipment. They will be working on the south side of HWF136 and heading west.
In the communities, the Structure Protection Unit (SPU) continue its work to maintain and test systems, while preparing for re-entry of the communities.
Weather Forecast | Semo Complex
Tomorrow, the temperature is forecasted to reach 21C with the relative humidity of 30 to 35 percent. Winds are expected to come from the SE and NE at 10 km/h. No precipitation is anticipated.
After initial safety briefings in late July and early August, firefighters and support personnel from Australia and New Zealand are now working with other fire crews from Alberta, Mexico, South Africa and several other Canadian provinces. Many of these "AUS/NZ" firefighters are now engaged on complexes in the High Level Forest Area — supporting our efforts to keep people and communities safe, as we work together to contain and control wildfires in this part of Northern Alberta.
Evacuation alerts and orders
Chief Conroy Sewepagaham of the Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN) has announced that re-entry for the communities of John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River is set for tomorrow (Monday), Aug. 5.
Until then, evacuation orders remain in effect for LRRCN communities. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) advises that Garden River is under an evacuation order (as of July 10), as are the communities of John D'Or Prairie and Fox Lake (effective July 20). For more details, please visit Alberta Emergency Alert.
You can follow LRRCN's 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 (IMT) is responsible for the personnel and resources assigned to the Melvin River Complex and its 11 wildfires. There are currently 161 firefighters and support personnel, 20 helicopters and six pieces of heavy equipment working on the wildfires within this complex. This includes 42 firefighters from Mexico; 20 from the Yukon; 40 from Australia, and one support person from the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.).
The Australians are assigned to HWF072, while the Mexican and Yukon crews remain on HWF047. These two wildfires are currently the focus within the complex.
Some scans were conducted last night and the results will be reviewed and used to assist with operational planning going forward. At this point, a few hotspots were noted, but no growth on the fires within this complex is apparent.
Heavy equipment continues working to build and strengthen containment lines using dozers on several fires in the complex. Heli-bucketiing operations continue, as required, and firefighters are continuing to search for and extinguish hotspots.
Overall, the IMT is systematically shifting resources across the wildfires within this complex, based on priorities and status, to achieve the greatest effect in specific locations as progress is made. The current focus is HWF047 and HWF072, but resources are also on other fires and all are being monitored.
HTZ001 is a mutual-aid wildfire that originated in the border zone with the 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. While firefighters continue to search for and extinguish hotspots, the IMT's main areas of concern have been addressed here.
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.
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.
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. Two heavy equipment groups (10 pieces) are now on scene and working initially on the NE perimeter, then working towards the south (as weather permits). Firefighters did not go to HWF072 today due to weather concerns re. possibly not being able to transport back by air.
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 recently observed on this wildfire, mostly on the northeastern side, south-southwest of Bistcho Lake.
HWF047 is burning BEING HELD and is estimated to be 1,707 ha in size. Firefighters are focusing their efforts on the west side of the wildfire, further establishing their containment lines. There was some bucketing today on this wildfire.
HWF030 is currently UNDER CONTROL 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.
The wildfires in the Melvin Complex do not currently threaten any communities and have all been determined to be caused by lightning with the exception of HWF145. HWF146 and HWF155, which remain under investigation.
OTHER ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
HWF159, HWF161, HWF162 and HWF163 are burning approximately 10-11 km north of the community of Rainbow Lake. Three are BEING HELD and one (HWF163) is UNDER CONTROL. They are still estimated to cover areas of 0.01 ha, 0.05 ha, 1.2 ha and 0.05 ha respectively and their causes are under investigation. These wildfires do not threaten any communities at this time.
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.
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., Aug. 4)
The fire danger is extreme through the agricultural zone and along the eastern slopes. The northwest corner of the province will experience low wildfire danger. For the remainder of the Boreal region, the danger is high to very high.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 1029 wildfires burning a total of 573,970 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 938 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,204,511 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 818 wildfires had burnt an average of 633,599 ha.
FIRE PERMITS
At this time, all fire permits remain suspended in the High Level Forest Area. Essential burning may be allowed; an assessment for any permit will be made by a forest officer.
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.
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wf.hcx0012024-iof.i@gov.ab.ca