As of March 1, you will need a permit for any burning with the exception of a campfire, in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.
If your burning projects have extended into wildfire season, apply online or contact the Lac La Biche Forest Area (780-623-5388) for your free burn permit.
WILDFIRE SURVEY
Alberta Wildfire is looking for your input! We want to know what information is important to you and how we can best deliver it. Please take the time to fill out this short survey regarding how you receive wildfire information to help ensure we are delivering the information that matters to Albertans.
Link: your.alberta.ca/wildfire-information-survey
WINTER BURNING
Wildfire season started March 1, all winter burning projects should be extinguished with the exception of campfires. However, if your burn project has extended into March we ask that you get your free burn permit. You can do this by calling into the Lac La Biche office at (780) 623-5388 or by going online.
Following safe burning practices is always in season and it can help prevent holdover fires that can start spring wildfires. Although snow helps reduce the risk of the fire burning into the ground, we recommend that you regularly check your winter burning sites to ensure that the fire is out.
You can do this by:
-walking your site and feeling the ground with your hand for heat
-looking for any visible lingering smoke patches or spots of melting snow
-rolling over any debris and checking for hotspots
-soaking any remaining hotspots with water and stirring up the ashes until it's cold to the touch
If fires aren’t properly put out, they can burn underground in the ice and snow and under the right conditions, these fires can re-emerge as wildfires in the spring.
To assist the Lac La Biche Forest Area, please let us know if you plan any large-scale burning by contacting the office (780) 623-5388.
SMOKE INVERSIONS
If an inversion is expected or in place, smoke from your burn can be trapped close to the ground overnight. This reduces visibility and causes dangerous driving conditions and can affect those with smoke-related health concerns.
The inversion happens when cold air is trapped near the ground by warmer air. The cool air near the surface cannot escape upwards and this creates a layer in which smoke from winter burning is trapped along the ground surface as it cannot rise.
Check the weather forecast and plan your burns when inversions aren't likely to occur.
WILDFIRE INFORMATION
The newly designed wildfire website is available wildfire.alberta.ca.
You will still be able to access popular pages such as the wildfire status page, but with some new features including a live calling link for the 310-FIRE reporting service when accessing the website from your mobile device.
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.
For more information please contact:
Colby Lachance
Information Coordinator
780-404-9186
Related Information
Websites:
- Alberta Wildfire
- Alberta Fire Bans
- FireSmart in Alberta
- Alberta Emergency Alerts
- Air Quality Health Index
- Wildfire Smoke and Your Health
- 511 Road Reports
Social Media:
