The High Level Forest Area (HLFA) remains under a FIRE RESTRICTION (see details in orange below).
Information stations will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 14: from 10-12 noon in Fox Lake, and from 5-6 p.m. in John D'Or Prairie — both at the band offices (see below).
If you see smoke or flame and suspect it's a wildfire, please call 310-FIRE (3473).
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.
A member of the Alberta Wildfire team launches a weather balloon to gather data on the Semo Complex (Aug. 13, 2024). When analyzed, this information is used in the planning process to more accurately forecast fire behavior and more effectively employ personnel and resources.
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 23 wildfires burning in the High Level Forest Area. Of these, three are out of control, 13 are being held, and seven are classified as under control. There is also one wildfire along the Alberta-N.W.T. border.
Since January 1, 2024, there have been 168 wildfires in the High Level Forest Area, burning a total of 291,700 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: The temperature is forecast to reach 21C on Wednesday with a relative humidity (RH) of 50 percent. Winds are expected from the NW 10-15 km/h. There has been moderate amount of rainfall today, which is expected to continue into tomorrow.
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. A few of the wildfires in this complex are located within Caribou Mountains Provincial Park.
There are currently 748 firefighters and support personnel, 24 helicopters and 129 pieces of heavy equipment and water trucks working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
HWF061 is a lightning-caused wildfire currently burning OUT OF CONTROL and was last estimated to be 106,976 hectares (ha). This wildfire is approximately 9.5 km northeast of the community boundary line of John D'Or Prairie, approximately 10.7 km north of the community boundary line of Fox Lake, and an estimated 1.9 km north of Highway 58.
HWF136 is currently burning OUT OF CONTROL at approximately 6,340 ha in size. This wildfire is located adjacent to Highway 58. It remains north of Highway 58 and is an estimated 13 km northwest of Garden River.
HWF053 is classified as BEING HELD. This wildfire is located north of HWF061 and is estimated to be 709 ha in size. Being held means that this fire is not expected to grow beyond established boundaries under the current conditions.
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 other wildfires remain under investigation. These fires will be monitored by fire personnel, with aircraft and further support as required. These wildfires include: HWF141, which is classified as BEING HELD north of HWF061 and east of HWF081, covering approximately 2,534 ha; HWF081, which is BEING HELD and is 50,149 ha; and HWF083, which is BEING HELD at 33,804 ha.
Fire Operations
Due to a smoke inversion today, helicopters were not able to fly the fire. Crews were accessing the fire by ground in trucks and haglunds. Firefighters and heavy equipment are working along the southern perimeter of HWF061 to extinguish hotspots and reduce spread when smoke allows. Heavy equipment is also on the west side moving to the south, as operators construct line. Operators are also making progress around the spot fire south of the HWF061 and north of highway 58, working on the northwest perimeter to tie it into the main fire just to the north. The north and northeast sides of HWF061 are seeing a lot of fire activity, which we continue to monitor (there are no concerns in these areas at this time).
Work on the guard on the northeast perimeter of HWF136 fire is continuing as equipment heads west to build containment lines. There is still activity on HWF136, but crews and heavy equipment are working to tie in small excursions with natural fuel breaks on the northwest corner. Very few hotspots were found on the south side of HWF136.
In the communities, the Structure Protection Unit (SPU) continues its work to maintain and test systems. SPU will also be patrolling Highway 58 tonight watching for any concerning areas with water trucks, as a precaution.
Weather Forecast
There may be an increase in smoke columns in the afternoon and evening, which is expected. Most of these smoke columns will be along the north perimeter of HWF061 and HWF136, as that is where we have observed some growth over the last few days. There may be smoke from the south perimeter of HWF061, but it is not actively running south at this time. Due to the weather inversion, there is still lingering smoke in the area.
Tomorrow, the temperature in the area of the Semo Complex is forecast to reach 24C with the relative humidity around 40-45 percent. Winds are expected from the northwest at approximately 10-15km/h, gusting to 30km/h. Some light precipitation is in the forecast.
Upcoming Information Stations
Wednesday, Aug. 14
Fox Lake - Band Office (10 - 12 noon)*
John D’Or Prairie - Band Office (5 - 6 p.m.)
*The information station in Fox Lake may be smoke dependent for barge travel.
Expand (click) to view the full public map of the Semo wildfire complex.
EVACUATION ALERTS AND ORDERS
Evacuation orders for Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN) communities have been lifted and re-entry for community members and residents of John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River started Aug. 5.
See updates on LRRCN's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lrrcn or their website at https://lrrcn.ab.ca/.
NWT crews await pick-up on the Semo Complex on Monday (Aug. 12, 2024): With the dedication and hard work of firefighters and support personnel, including fire crews from the Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN), steady progress towards containment and control is being made on these wildfires in the High Level Forest Area.
OTHER ACTIVE WILDFIRES IN THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA
HWF072, which is burning OUT OF CONTROL, is located 45 km west of Zama City and 60 km northwest of Chateh. This fire was very recently re-mapped and is now estimated to be 30,104 ha in size, although no recent growth of any significance has been observed. Limited visibility, due to smoke and weather, since yesterday has hampered efforts to access this wildfire – as air and ground operations depend on helicopters for bucketing and transport of firefighters to this fairly remote location near the B.C. border.
When visibility permits, there is some ongoing heli-bucketing and heavy equipment operators continue working to enhance containment lines around the perimeter, while firefighters continue to work on hotspots. There are currently about 150 firefighting personnel, nine helicopters and two dozer groups (10 pieces) of heavy equipment working on HWF072 (some of these are assigned to HWF047 and HWF092, to the north of the Town of High Level, as required). 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.
HWF065 is BEING HELD and estimated to be 36,067 ha in size. This fire was determined to have been caused by lightning.
*None of the wildfires listed in the above section 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. 13)
The fire danger is mainly moderate to high for the Foothills and Rockies. The boreal remains very high to extreme. The agricultural zone is mostly high to very high, except the southeast corner is extreme.
Since January 1, 2024 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 1065 wildfires burning a total of 615,678 hectares (ha).
Last year, on this date, there were 968 wildfires that burnt a total of 2,204,512 ha. In the past five years on this date, an average of 866 wildfires had burnt an average of 633,738 ha.
*A FIRE RESTRICTION REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE HIGH LEVEL FOREST AREA (see below for what is allowed and what is prohibited)
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.
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
