Never leave your cooking or warming fire unattended and always ensure you fully extinguish it. Soak the ashes, stir them and soak them again until they're cool to the touch.
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, please 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.
Would emergency vehicles fit through your entry way? Driveways require a minimum of four metres (12 feet) vertical clearance and a minimum of four metres (12 feet) width to provide safe access for firefighting and other emergency vehicles.
HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA | WILDFIRE SITUATION
There are currently 20 wildfires burning in the High Level Forest Area. Of these, 14 are being held, and six are classified as under control. There is also one wildfire along the Alberta-N.W.T. border.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 178 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 326,023 hectares (ha).
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
HCX001 – Semo Complex (HWF053, HWF061, HWF081, HWF083, HWF136, HWF141)
The Semo Wildfire Complex is located north of John D'Or Prairie and Fox Lake, and west of Garden River.
There are currently 476 firefighters and support personnel, including 26 helicopters and 96 pieces of heavy equipment and water trucks working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
All of the wildfires within the Semo Complex are classified as BEING HELD. Being held means that these wildfires are not expected to grow beyond established boundaries under the current conditions.
HWF136 is approximately 5,480 ha in size and located along the north side of Highway 58 and is approximately 13 km northwest of Garden River. The cause of this wildfire is under investigation.
HWF061 is approximately 105,871 hectares (ha) and located approximately 8.8 km northeast of the community boundary line of John D'Or Prairie, 10.7 km north of the community boundary line of Fox Lake, 1.7 km north of Highway 58. The wildfire was determined to be caused by lightning.
Other wildfires in this complex are further north and are within or near Caribou Mountain Wildland Provincial Park. They were all caused by lightning, except for HWF141, which remains under investigation. These wildfires include:
- HWF053 is approximately 709 ha in size.
- HWF081 is approximately 52,026 ha in size.
- HWF083 is approximately 35,470 ha in size.
- HWF141 is approximately 2,537 ha in size.
WILDFIRE OPERATIONS
HWF061 | Very little fire behaviour has been observed on this wildfire for a few days. This is giving firefighters and helicopters with water buckets good opportunities to continue working on a 100-foot control line along the southern perimeter. The process, often called mop up, can take a very long time depending on the working conditions like steep slopes and the depth and extent of ash pits and smouldering vegetation.
Firefighters are often accompanied by heavy equipment like excavators, nodwells and water trucks. Once firefighters have found the hotspots, they need to dig deep into the ground and extinguish with water. Many lengths of water hose, pumps and hand tools are used on the fireline. All this equipment requires care and maintenance, including the sprinkler systems that are established in key areas along the fireline to help extinguish the deep burning pits.
Reclamation continues along highway 58 using mulchers and feller bunchers to remove dangerous trees that could fall onto the road.
HWF136 | Good progress continues to be made on this wildfire. Firefighters are working quickly on searching for and extinguishing hotspots in identified areas. Once this fire is 100 per cent controlled, firefighters will be strategically placed on the perimeter of HWF061.
Additional low-level heat scans have been requested. These low-level scans refine the perimeter boundary, helping firefighters better assess the length of perimeter they need to work on and allocate resources to.
Structure protection equipment at Pitchimi Lake remains in place as a precaution.
WEATHER FORECAST
Today, a high of 26C with relative humidity of 35 per cent is expected. Winds from the west 10-15 km/h will be shifting to southwest 15-20 km/h, gusting to 40 km/h early this afternoon then from the northwest 10-15 km/h near late this evening.
Tomorrow, a high of 26C with relative humidity of 35 per cent is forecasted. Southwest winds 10-15 km/h gusting to 30 km/h will be shifting to northwest 10-15 km/h later in the evening.
There’s no chance of precipitation in the next two days.
We are experiencing an unseasonable trend of hot and dry weather, which may lead to increased fire behaviour along sections of the perimeter where crews haven’t been working. Residents may see smoke from areas of unburnt vegetation from within the fire perimeter, but they are not near any communities or threaten the containment lines.
OTHER ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
HWF072, which is BEING HELD, is located 45 km west of Zama City and 60 km northwest of Chateh. This wildfire is estimated to be 35,921 ha in size.
There are approximately 105 firefighting personnel, nine helicopters and 10 pieces of heavy equipment assigned to HWF072. Heavy equipment operators continue working to establish and enhance containment lines around the perimeter, while firefighters (supported by heli-bucketing) work on hotspots. The cause of HWF072 has been determined to be lightning.
HTZ001 (bordering on the N.W.T. to the north), which included previous areas of concern to the NE and SE of Bistcho Lake, is classified as BEING HELD and is being monitored closely. Please see NWT Wildfire Update Map and the South Slave SS009-24 Update for more information on the status of this and other fires on the N.W.T. side of the border.
No significant growth has been observed on the above-noted wildfires and none currently threaten communities.
To view these and other wildfires in Alberta, view our interactive map by following the active wildfire link.
PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE SITUATION
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 1,139 wildfires burning a total of 707,101 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 998 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,204,523 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 966 wildfires had burnt an average of 636,371 ha.
WILDFIRE SAFETY MESSAGES
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 YOUR HOME AND PROPERTY
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.
Now that fall is quickly approaching, we ask farm and acreage owners to start thinking about FireSmart options for their property. Here are some tips to get you started:
Barns and outbuildings | You can apply any of the vegetation management strategies to granaries, barns and outbuildings to reduce the threat of wildfire. If you cannot easily get into these areas to mow the grass, livestock can do a good job of cleaning up for you. Remember to manage vegetation in old corrals and unused corners of your yard. Mowing, grazing, weed-eating, treating with herbicide or gravelling are all ways you can manage this vegetation. Manage vegetation around dugouts and other water sources as well. This reduces the fire hazard and helps provide ready access for firefighters and their equipment. Keep these areas free of equipment, batteries, scrap iron, lumber, posts and other refuse. These items become a safety hazard for firefighters.
Learn more about reducing wildfire risks on the farm; download the FireSmart Farm and Acreage Guide.
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
