Lac La Biche Area Update

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

When the fire danger level is very high: Fire is expected to start easily and could challenge suppression efforts.

The fire ban has been lifted in the Lac La Biche Forest Area. 

For more information regarding fire bans you can visit Albertafirebans.ca

To report wildfires in the province’s forested areas, call 310-FIRE. 

The Kettle River Complex (LCX001) includes 12 wildfires: LWF123, LWF126, LWF136, LWF141, LWF147, LWF152, LWF154, LWF156, LWF159, LWF164, LWF169 and LWF175. An Ontario Incident Management Team (IMT) is committed to managing personnel and resources assigned to the Kettle River Complex of wildfires.

Another warm and dry day is expected across the Kettle River Complex area Sunday. Daytime temperatures are forecasted to reach a high of 29 degrees with relative humidity in the 25-30% range. Winds will be out of south-southwest, reaching 15-20 km/h with gusts up to the 30 km/h. There is no rain expected in the area today through Monday.

LWF147 – The status of this fire is BEING HELD at 6,539 ha. The fire is located approximately 16 km northeast of Heart Lake in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. There are 233 firefighters and personnel assigned to this fire. Helicopters are moving crews into positions to patrol and extinguish hotspots inwards from the perimeter

Regrowth occurring on a burned over meadow on LWF136. This fire was discovered on July 14, and is now classified as Under Control.

WF152 – The status of this 453 ha wildfire is UNDER CONTROL. Located approximately 22 km northeast of Conklin and 10 km southeast of Highway 881, this wildfire is in close proximity (10 km radius) to industrial facilities. The fire continues to be monitored for activity.

LWF154 – The status of this wildfire is BEING HELD at 1,278 ha. A total of 57 firefighters and personnel are assigned to this fire, patrolling and extinguishing hotspots to prevent fire spread to the east.

LWF156 – The status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL measuring 384 ha in size. This fire was confirmed on July 16, 2024. This fire is being monitored for growth and activity.

LWF159 – The status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL, and it is located in Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park about 12 km east of Winefred Lake No. 194B. This wildfire is approximately 4,294 ha. This fire is being monitored for growth and activity.

LWF164 – The status of this wildfire is UNDER CONTROL at 1547 ha in size. The fire is located approximately 12km northeast of Conklin and has shown minimal fire behaviour over the past several days and continues to be monitored for fire activity.

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 km east of Winefred Lake. This fire is being monitored for growth and activity. 

Ontario Fire Behaviour Analyst Ian Staley taking a weather reading at the north end of the Kettle River Complex.

CAMPFIRE SAFETY

SOAK IT, STIR IT, AND SOAK IT AGAIN

• Let the fire burn down before you plan on putting it out. Spread the embers within the fire pit, then add water or loose dirt, and stir.

• Expose any material still burning. Add more water and stir again until you can no longer see smoke or steam. Do not bury your fire as the embers may continue to smolder and can re-emerge as a wildfire.

• Repeat until your campfire is cool to the touch.

• If your fire is out, you should not be able to feel any heat from the ashes

• Alberta wildfire typically sees an increase in human-caused wildfires during long weekends.

GET YOUR FREE FIRE PERMIT

All burning within the Forest Protection Area of Alberta requires a fire permit, with the exception of a campfire. You can get your free fire permit by applying online or by contacting  the Lac La Biche Office at 780-623-5388. 

Please help our staff by planning ahead. As the season gets busy, there may be delays for a forest officer to visit your site. Contact us or submit for your permit online as early as possible to ensure you have your permit for when you need it. 

WILDFIRE INFORMATION 

Subscribe to Lac La Biche forest area updates to receive them in your inbox. 

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. 

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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:  

Kettle River Wildfire Complex 

Alison Bezubiak

Ontario Information Officer

Cell: 1-807-323-3743

wf.lcx0012024-iof.i@gov.ab.ca

RELATED INFORMATION

Websites:

• Alberta Wildfire
• Alberta Fire Bans
• FireSmart Alberta
• Alberta Emergency Alerts
• Air Quality Health Index
• Wildfire Smoke and Your Health
• 511 Road Reports
• Emergency Preparation
  

Social media:

Apps:

• Alberta Wildfire Status App for Apple or Android.
• Alberta Fire Bans App for Apple or Android.