Lac La Biche Forest Area Wildfire Update

The wildfire danger in the Lac La Biche forest area is now LOW. Although the 2024 wildfire season has come to an end wildfires can still start in cooler conditions.

If you're out hunting or using an OHV, remember to always extinguish your campfire before leaving the site. Remember to SOAK IT, STIR IT, SOAK IT AGAIN. Repeat this until the fire is cool to the touch.

Report wildfires immediately by calling 310-FIRE(3473).

ALBERTA SENDS SUPPORT TO CALIFORNIA

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Firefighters receive a briefing ahead of their departure to California.

Alberta Wildfire received a request to assist California through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Alberta’s government is sending two fully equipped wildfire crews, including 40 wildland firefighters and two agency representatives. The teams departed Edmonton on Monday, Jan. 13 and are expected to arrive in California within the next few days.

California’s wildfire management agency will determine where the Alberta crews are deployed.

Additional Type 1 firefighters, Incident Command personnel, and qualified support staff are ready to go, if requested. Alberta Wildfire is also preparing water bombers, pilots, and contracted night vision helicopters to assist in California, if needed.

During Alberta’s record-breaking wildfire season in 2023, 115 firefighters and support staff from California came to help Alberta’s wildfire response.

SEASONAL RECRUITMENT

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Several seasonal positions are now available on our website for the season of 2025, You can find these positions on our website. Throughout the coming weeks, more positions will become available.

LAC LA BICHE WILDFIRE UPDATE

Since January 1, 2025, there has been one new wildfire in the Lac La Biche Forest Area.

There is currently one new wildfire in the Lac La Biche forest area and two carryover wildfires from the 2024 season.

All wildfires are labelled as UNDER CONTROL.

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

FIRE PERMITS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED

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Fire permits are no longer required until March 1 but please keep safe winter burning practices in mind. These practices include:

Carefully select your burn site and do not burn until you have good snow cover in the area.
Check weather conditions and refrain from burning when an inversion is in place or is forecasted.
Actively manage burn projects to reduce total burning time.
Burn debris in stages so that you can adapt to changing weather conditions and reduce smoke.
Ensure you have the right tools, water and equipment on hand to keep the burn under control.
Consult your local municipality on how to safely undertake larger winter burning projects near communities or roads.

Due to the lack of snow in the Lac La Biche Forest Area any burning on the landscape has the potential to dig deep into the ground creating holdover fires. Holdover fires are fires that are not properly extinguished and will burn underground. When conditions are right these fires can start up again in the spring creating a wildfire. We ask that you kindly wait to start any winter burning until there is at least 15 cm of snow on the ground.

Find more information on winter burning.

GET YOUR HARVEST PERMITS

Personal Use Forest Products Permits (PUFFP) are for small-scale personal use only (no resale) for Christmas trees, firewood or transplants. These free permits are available online or in person at your nearest forestry office. PUFPPs authorize Albertans to cut and remove timber from designated Crown land only. The area-specific PUFPP document must be with you at all times while cutting or transporting trees from Crown land. In one 30-day period, a person can hold up to 4 permits – up to one permit each for: firewood, Christmas trees, roundwood and transplants.

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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.

COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS DAY

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Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a great opportunity to engage your community in FireSmart initiatives and prepare for wildfire risks.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day gives neighbourhoods and communities the opportunity to receive a $500 award from FireSmart Canada, along with an event kit to help make your event a huge success

Organizing an event can foster awareness and encourage proactive measures to protect your neighborhood. Remember, starting a conversation is the first step to making a significant impact.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Apply for your chance to receive $500 to support a FireSmart event or project on your street or within your community. Applications are now open until Jan 31, 2025!

You can find more information about Wildfire Community Preparedness Day here:
https://firesmartcanada.ca/programs/wildfire-community-preparedness-day/

FireSmart Canada has provided a range of resources and a toolkit to help you with your application or plan your event:
https://firesmartcanada.ca/programs/wildfire-community-preparedness-day/wildfire-community-preparedness-day-resources/

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: