Lac La Biche Forest Area Wildfire Update

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

Firefighters urge everyone to use caution when working or recreating outdoors. Report wildfires immediately by calling 310-FIRE(3473).

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Fire Advisory banner

A fire advisory is in effect for the Lac La Biche Forest Area.

The fire advisory will remain in effect due to the anticipated increase in fire danger over the coming days. While some of the forest area has received rain, this has not been consistent throughout the entire forest area.

Under this advisory:

All existing fire permits remain valid.

New fire permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis.

Permitted:

Safe wood campfires on private and public land, including backyard fire pits

Charcoal briquette barbeques

Propane/natural gas powered appliances

Open flame oil devices

Catalytic or infrared-style heaters

Indoor wood fires

Prohibited:

Any burning without a valid fire permit, other than a campfire

Fireworks and exploding targets

The fire advisory will remain in effect until conditions improve.

For more information on where the advisory or restriction is within the forest area, please visit the Alberta Fire Bans website.

Air Quality alerts

August 18: Environment Canada continues to have an air quality alert issued for the Lac La Biche area. Due to wildfire smoke, air quality and visibility can fluctuate over short distances and vary considerably from hour to hour.

Air quality is expected to be poor over the next few days.

Here's some tips from Environment Canada:

Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air purifier that can filter fine particles.
If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask (such as a NIOSH-certified N95 or equivalent respirator) can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke. Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.
Check in on others who are in your care or live nearby who may be more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke.
Take care of your mental health.

To see forecasted smoke, please visit FireSmoke.ca. If you have smoke related health concerns, please visit or contact Alberta 811.

LAC LA BICHE WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 187 wildfires in the Lac La Biche Forest Area burning a total of 21,999 hectares (ha).

There are currently 13 active wildfires in the Lac La Biche Forest Area. Of those, two are out of control, seven are being held and four are under control.

LWF186 - was discovered on August 13th and is located 15 km northwest of Wandering River. It is estimated at 0.5 ha in size and is classified as BEING HELD.

View other active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our Wildfire Status page.

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

Kettle River Complex (LCX001) | LWF 123, LWF 159

The Kettle River Complex (LCX001) includes 10 wildfires: LWF123, LWF126, LWF136, LWF147, LWF154, LWF156, LWF159, LWF169, LWF175 and LWF185. An Ontario Incident Management Team (IMT) is committed to managing personnel and resources assigned to the Kettle River Complex of wildfires.

Infrared drone-based scanning continues on fires in the complex, yielding hotspot targets for firefighters to extinguish.

Cool and damp conditions will continue today with cloudy skies and the potential for showers or thundershowers bringing 2-4 mm of rain across the Kettle River Complex area. Temperatures are expected to peak at 19˚ Celsius with north to northeast winds ranging from 10-15 km/h.

Last week there was an increase in fire behaviour on some fires in the complex due to warm temperatures and minimal precipitation, including LWF123, LWF147 and LWF159. Smoke drift from these wildfires has been observed in surrounding areas.

LWF123 – the status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL at 2,345 ha in size. The fire is located approximately 5 km north of South Watchusk Lake. This fire is being monitored for growth and fire activity.

LWF147 – The status of this fire is BEING HELD at 6,397 ha in size. The fire is located approximately 16 km northeast of Heart Lake in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. There are 167 firefighters and personnel assigned to this fire. Helicopters continue to move crews into position to construct hose lines and extinguish hotspots.

Ontario Incident Management Team personnel lead morning briefing for firefighting crews from Alberta, Australia, and South Africa.

LWF154 – The status of this wildfire is BEING HELD at 1,218 ha in size. A total of 88 firefighters and personnel are assigned to this fire. Crews continue to patrol the perimeter, extinguishing hotspots on the east and west flanks of the fire.

LWF156 – The status of this wildfire is BEING HELD measuring 369 ha in size. A total of 62 firefighters and personnel are assigned to this fire. Crews are patrolling the fire perimeter to extinguish hotspots while being supported by bucketing helicopters as needed.

LWF159 – The status of this wildfire is OUT OF CONTROL at 5,563 ha in size. This fire is located in Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park about 12km east of Winefred Lake No. 194B. There are a total of 10 personnel including 8 heavy equipment operators assigned to his fire, establishing fire guards around the northwest finger of the fire.

LWF175 – The status of the wildfire is BEING HELD. This fire is approximately 128 ha in size and located in Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park, approximately 12 kilometres east of Winefred Lake. This fire is being monitored for growth and fire activity.

LWF185 – The status of this wildfire is UNDER CONTROL. This fire is 0.1 ha in size and located approximately 6.5 km east of Highway 881 in the northwest corner of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. This fire was confirmed on August 13 as a result of recent lightning and received an initial response from aircraft that were bucketing on LWF147.

South African firefighting personnel discuss the day’s plan before departing to the fire line.

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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.

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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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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.

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:

Covering for the Lac La Biche Forest Area:

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