The Fire Ban and OHV Restriction has been lifted in the High Level Forest Area and a Fire Restriction is in place. For your safety, please stay away from active wildfire areas within the High Level Forest Area. To report a wildfire call 310-FIRE(3473).
FIRE RESTRICTION IN EFFECT | AS OF JUNE 22, 2023
A fire restriction is in effect for the High Level, Peace River and Fort McMurray Forest Areas, as well as the northern part of the Grande Prairie Forest Area.
Under this restriction:
- Existing fire permits are suspended, and cancelled and no new fire permits will be issued.
- Safe wood campfires within fire rings in campgrounds are allowed.
Prohibited:
- All outdoor wood fires are banned on public lands, including backcountry and random camping areas.
- The use of fireworks and exploding targets is also prohibited.
Allowed:
- Safe wood campfires on private lands and in provincial campgrounds.
- Backyard fire pits, charcoal briquette barbeques.
- Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances.
- Indoor wood fires contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor.
- Cooking, warming and lighting devices – all devices must be CSA approved and used as per manufacturer’s standards.
Stay away from active wildfire areas | For your safety and to ensure firefighters can do their job safely, please stay away from active wildfire areas. Your cooperation is essential.
Danger 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.
Reporting wildfires | Please do not report smoke or flame from within an active wildfire area. Firefighters are diverted from essential tasks to respond to fires reported by the public. You may see smoke or flame within the existing boundary of a wildfire, this is normal.
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, and take necessary precautions if you have smoke-related health 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 Alberta firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. *Transport Canada
There are 12 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area. Of these fires, five are classified as out of control (OC), three are being held (BH) and four are under control (UC). Please see the updates below regarding information on the Paskwa - Davidson Complex and the Long Lake Complex. To see a map of the wildfires in the High Level Forest Area and across the province please click here.
Wildfires of interest;
HWF075 | This fire is being managed by the IMT on the Paskwa - Davidson Complex. Please see the Paskwa - Davidson Complex update below for more info.
HWF072 | This fire is located approximately 36 km southwest of South tall Cree and highway 88. This fire is classified as out of control (OC) at 180 hectares. This fire received some rain yesterday afternoon and therefore activity was low and the fire did not see much growth. There are 9 firefighters, 3 helicopters and airtankers are available as needed. There are no communities at risk at this time.
HWF064 | THE BEACH ROAD FIRE | This fire was detected June 9, 2023. This fire is classified as out of control (OC) with a last recorded size of 5,258 hectares. This fire is being managed by the High level Forest Area and there is an Incident Management Team (IMT) in place. The fire is located approximately 10km northwest of Zama City.
Yesterday afternoon a storm rolled into the area and the fire received some rain. This gave firefighters some reprieve, cooled down the fire area and allowed crews to work safely on priority areas. Crews, aircraft and heavy equipment have made good progress on the south side to prevent spread towards the community of Zama City.
Heavy equipment continues to create guards around the community. Structure protection units are in place in the community and are ready if needed. In addition, crews, heavy equipment and aircraft continue their work on the east side as well. Firefighters are also working with industry partners to protect critical infrastructure.
There are 60 wildland and structural firefighters, 5 helicopters, support staff and heavy equipment working on this fire. Airtankers are available as needed.
Fire HWF058 is classified as out of control (OC) at 21,356 hectares. June 24, 2023
THE LONG LAKE COMPLEX | HWF036, HWF058 | JUNE 25, 2023 AS OF 12:00 PM
HWF036 | This fire was detected on May 3, 2023. This fire is classified as out of control (OC) with a last recorded size of 168,614 hectares. This increase in size is due to internal pockets within the fire perimeter burning and updated mapping data from aerial intel. The increase in size is not a result of any increased fire activity. Firefighters, aircraft and heavy equipment have made great progress therefore 62 percent of the fire line is contained and being held.
An aerial scan has identified hot spots within the fire perimeter that firefighters will focus on today. The fire is still active on the western and northern border, moving towards the British Columbia border. Crews are burning out this area using ignition operations and are working with dozers.
The northeast guard protecting the community of Chateh continues to hold with limited activity fire along this edge. Firefighters continue to monitor and strengthen containment lines. Vegetation inside the fire perimeter continues to burn and firefighters continue to mop up hot spots as they arise.
Please be aware that there is still active fire burning in the area. Residents are reminded not to enter the fire area due to large number of firefighters, and equipment working. Burnt trees continue to fall which are dangerous.
HWF058 |This fire is located approximately 80 km southwest of the Town of High Level and approximately 17 km northwest of the of Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement boundary marker, where the Haig River meets the Chinchaga River. This fire is classified as out of control (OC) with an estimated size of 21,356 hectares.
Firefighters saw increased activity yesterday on the western edge of the fire along the power line easement, and the fire had spotted over the dozer guard. A priority for today will be to asses this area and tie it back into the guard. There was also increased activity yesterday on the eastern and southeast corner. Today heavy equipment continues their work in this area and will be assisted by aircraft. The southern edge is holding well and the northern edge is self-extinguishing with minimal activity.
Firefighters expect to see increased activity today with the hotter temperatures. Hot spots will be cooled by helicopters with water buckets on the eastern side of the fire to prevent further spreading. Crews are flying into the fire line daily as access is challenging. The IMT continues to work closely with locals on understanding the local environment and getting access to the fire ground. A base camp for crews has been established at Keg River Camp, southwest of Paddle Prairie.
There are currently 313 personnel, 18 aircraft and 60 heavy equipment are working across this complex of fires. The Incident Management Team continues to work closely with effected communities, First Nations and industry stakeholders.
BC have also observed increased activity with their three fires on the border. They are in remote country with no community and are being monitored by air. The Long Lake Fire Complex, Incident Management Team is in daily contact with the BC Wildfire Service. For more information on these fires please go BC Wildfire Service (gov.bc.ca)
Weather Forecast | Long Lake Complex
The forecast for today is as follows, a temperature of 21 degrees, a relative humidity of 55 percent with winds northeast 15km/h gusting to 30km/h.
THE PASKWA - DAVIDSON COMPLEX | JUNE 25, 2023 AS OF 12:00 PM
High Level Forest Area fires HWF030, HWF075 and Fire 8, 9, 11, 13 and 14 in the Wood Buffalo National Park are being managed by the IMT on the Paskwa - Davidson complex. Alberta Wildfire and Parks Canada are working together to manage these wildfires.
HWF030 | The Paskwa fire was detected on May 2, 2023. It extends along the south side of the Peace River from the community of Fox Lake into Wood Buffalo National Park and is approximately 8 km south of the community of Garden River. The wildfire is estimated at 96,582 hectares and this fire is classified as out of control (OC). The top priorities for managing the Paskwa Fire are full extinguishment of fire in Fox Lake, protecting Garden River, and working toward securing the fire perimeter to prevent significant fire spread.
Due to debris in the Peace River the barges are having difficulty operating again today. Firefighters still have access to the community via aircraft. There are water trucks and equipment in Fox Lake ready for wildfire suppression if needed.
Crews continue their work in the community working on hotspots with hand tools and water. Crews will continue to remove danger trees within the community as they’re spotted.
There are light-medium smokes surfacing in Fox Lake from within the burned-out fire perimeter as crews pile and burn off debris. This is a controlled and monitored practice to get rid of unwanted downed trees that have been piled to burn off and clean-up the wildfire zone. These burning piles are burning on bare mineral soil and are located away from any structures in town.
The high-volume water system, water lines, and sprinkler systems on structures are still in place in the community of Garden River and structural firefighters are available as needed. These are proactive measures to ensure the community is prepared should the fires move closer to Garden River. These systems are tested every morning for efficiency in the equipment.
Many aerial scans have been completed over the course of this wildfire event and will be ongoing. The information we receive from the data gives the operations team a better plan of action as to where the deep burning hotspots in the area.
There are 193 firefighters, 37 support staff, 12 helicopters, and heavy equipment working on the Paskwa - Davidson Complex.
HWF075 | This fire is approximately 24 km west of Garden River, and 2 km north of highway 58. This fire is classified as being held (BH) at 13 hectares. There is no threat to the community of Garden River at this time. Yesterday evening the fire saw a bit of rain as thundershowers passed through the area. Heavy equipment worked through the night to establish a guard around the fire. This fire is close to highway 58, please use caution when driving in this area.
Wood Buffalo National Park | Davidson Lake Complex (Wildfires 8, 9, 11, 13, 14)
For information regarding fires burning within the Wood Buffalo National Park, please click here.
Evacuation Alerts and Information
Little Red River Cree Nation has an evacuation order in place for the community of Fox Lake. The community of Garden River remains on an evacuation alert. For information regarding the evacuation, please stay informed by visiting the Little Red River Cree Nation’s Facebook page.
Weather Forecast | Paskwa Fire (HWF030)
The forecast for today is as follows, a temperature of 24 degrees, a relative humidity of 30 percent with northeast winds 10-15 km/h shifting to southeast 10 km/h this evening.
DO NOT FLY DRONES NEAR WILDFIRES!
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 Alberta firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. *Transport Canada
WILDFIRE INFORMATION
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, please check albertafirebans.ca to determine whether 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.
WILDFIRE LINKS AND TOOLS
Volunteers, equipment owners/operators or firefighters looking to assist with these wildfires or any of the wildfires within the province can contact EmergencySupportOffers@gov.ab.ca.
There are multiple EVACUATION ORDERS & ALERTS in the Province. Please visit Alberta Emergency Alerts or your community webpage for more information.
For road closure information, please visit: 511.alberta.ca
Wildfire smoke is a tool used for the location of smoke firesmoke.ca
To see all the wildfires burning in Alberta click here.
WILDFIRE PREPARDNESS | Learn how you can prepare yourself for a wildfire by clicking here.
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Victoria Ostendorf
Wildfire Information Officer
High Level Forest Area
Mobile: 780-841-9387
Email: victoria.ostendorf@gov.ab.ca