Lac La Biche Forest Area Wildfire Update

Visit AB 511 for up-to-date information on road closures in the forest area.

A fire ban remains in effect for the Lac La Biche Forest Area.

If you see smoke or flame in the forest area please call 310-FIRE (3473) to report it.

LAC LA BICHE WILDFIRE UPDATE

The wildfire danger in the Lac La Biche forest area is now LOW.

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 174 wildfires in the Lac La Biche Forest Area burning a total of 20,952 hectares (ha). There are currently 38 active wildfires in the Lac La Biche Forest Area. Of those, 16 are out of control, 13 are being held and nine are under control.

To view active wildfires on a map, visit Alberta Wildfire Status.

Kettle River Complex (LCX001) | LWF136, LWF164 and LWF152

The Kettle River Complex (LCX001) includes 17 wildfires: LWF101, LWF123, LWF126, LWF136, LWF139, LWF140, LWF141, LWF142, LWF143, LWF152, LWF155, LWF156, LWF159, LWF162, LWF164, LWF168 and LWF175. An Ontario Incident Management Team (IMT) is now committed to managing personnel and resources assigned to the Kettle River Complex of wildfires.

Despite patchy rainfall across the complex yesterday, a rain gauge at the Kettle River Complex Command Post marked 11mm of precipitation overnight as wet weather continues into the morning today. A break in the weather yesterday, July 26 allowed aerial operations to resume and fire operations staff were able to view 15 of the complex’s 17 fires from the air – reporting good progress where firefighting is taking place and minimal fire behaviour on fires where resources are not assigned.

LWF-164 - Kettle River rain gauge recorded 11mm

Visit 511 Alberta for the most up-to-date information on highway closures.

LWF136 – The status of this wildfire has changed to BEING HELD. Fire behaviour on LWF-136 was reported as minimal near the fire’s perimeter yesterday. The fire remains located approximately 12 km northwest of the community of Janvier at a size of 765 ha.

Resources committed to this wildfire include 13 pieces of heavy equipment, 66 wildland firefighters. Heavy equipment has completed construction of the guard around the fire’s southeast and southwest perimeter and firefighters continue to push into more difficult-to-reach areas. Helicopters equipped with buckets are available to support ground crews and heavy equipment if weather conditions permit.

LWF141 – The status of this wildfire is UNDER CONTROL. Progress has been made on this 36 ha fire, approximately three kilometres north of Chard. Heavy equipment were able to complete a dozer guard on the eastern perimeter.

LWF164 – The status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL, and it is located approximately 12km northeast of Conklin and south of Highway 881. This is approximately 1,400 ha. Operations staff on LWF-164 reported minimal fire behaviour.

There are 12 pieces of heavy equipment and eight wildland firefighters assigned to this wildfire. An area west of the highway has been encircled with dozer guard and hose line.

Heavy equipment will continue to work to establish a dozer guard along the west and southeast fire perimeters. Operations staff are looking for opportunities to establish hose lines on the east and northeast perimeters in the days ahead.

LWF152 -The status of this 474 ha wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL, and it is located approximately 22km northeast of Conklin and 10km southeast of Highway 881. Fire Operations staff traveled to LWF-152 on Friday to connect with industrial stakeholders and begin developing an operations plan for the fire. This wildfire is in close proximity (10 km radius) to industrial facilities. This wildfire is being monitored for growth and fire activity.

LWF159 – The status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL, and it is located in Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park about 12km east of Winefred Lake No. 194B. This wildfire is approximately 4,432 ha.

LWF175 – The status of the wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL. This fire is approximately 125 ha in size and located in Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park, approximately 12 kilometres east of Winefred Lake. Operations staff flew over the fire area on July 26, to monitor for growth and fire activity.

LWF165 - (Lac La Biche Forest Area) - This wildfire was detected July 17. It is located 20 km south of Crow Lake. This fire is now being managed by the Algar Lake Complex (since July 23). It is classified as OUT OF CONTROL and is currently estimated at 1,883 ha.

Firefighters are working hotspots on the north and south edges of LWF165 on the east and west sides of HWY 63. Heavy equipment operators have completed containment lines around the portion of LWF165 located on the west side of Highway 63.

Given the forecasted conditions, observed fire behaviour, and the work accomplished so far, there are no immediate concerns for further travel disruptions to the highway.

Australian firefighters joined the Algar Lake Complex team this week. Photo taken July 24, 2024.

There are currently 16 wildfires burning out of control in the Lac La Biche Forest Area. View other active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our Wildfire Status page.

LWF173- This wildfire was detected on July 23. It is classified as OUT OF CONTROL at 6 ha. There is currently one helitack crew on this fire. We are conducting early morning tanker operations weather permitting.

LWF171 - This wildfire was detected on July 22. It is classified as UNDER CONTROL at 34 ha. Crews will continue to monitor this fire.

LWF169 - This wildfire was detected on July 21. It is classified as OUT OF CONTROL at 217 ha. This fire is located 6 km east of industry facility. We have had some bucketing suppression, however, visibility is limited. There has been minimal growth on this fire today.

LWF147 - This wildfire was detected July 16. It is classified as OUT OF CONTROL at 6,569 ha. The fire is located approximately 16 km northeast of Heart Lake in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. This fire is under investigation.

LWF154 - This wildfire was detected July 16. It is classified as OUT OF CONTROL at 1,290 ha. This wildfire is located within the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.

Fire Ban banner

A fire ban is in effect as of July 10 in the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Lac La Biche Forest Area, due to hot and dry conditions.

Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.

Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see if a fire ban or restriction is in place in your area.

Under this fire ban:

All fire permits are suspended or cancelled.
No new fire permits will be issued.
Some allowances can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, if approved by a forest officer.

Prohibited:

All outdoor wood fires, including wood campfires on public land, private land, designated campgrounds, and backyard firepits
Barbeque charcoal briquettes
Fireworks and exploding targets

Allowed:

Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances
Indoor wood fires inside a structure (such as a facility, building, tent or RV) and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
Open flame oil devices (such as deep fryers and tiki torches). All devices must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards.

If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

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DRONES are not allowed to be flown within five nautical miles (or 9.3 kilometers) of a wildfire.

If you fly a drone within this distance of a wildfire, it immediately halts firefighting operations because it is not safe to be flying with drones in the air. The penalty for interfering with wildfire control operations can land you a court appearance, go to the Government of Alberta website.
For more information from Transport Canada about drones near wildfires, visit Transport Canada's website.

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FIRESMART

Your actions today can minimize wildfire damage to your home and property tomorrow. Visit FireSmart Alberta to learn how taking proactive FireSmart measures around your house and yard can increase your property's resistance to wildfire.

Download the Farm and Acreage Guide to Reducing the Risk From Wildfire for additional information.

WILDFIRE INFORMATION

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Download the AB Wildfire Status app, and select the "i" at the bottom to see the most recent update. Sign up to be notified when a new update is published.

Visit Alberta Wildfire for more information on the current wildfire situation.

Visit Alberta Fire Bans to see if there are any fire advisories, fire restrictions or fire bans in effect in your area.

For more information, please contact:

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