Tomorrow’s fire danger rating across the Lac La Biche Forest Protection Area will generally be VERY HIGH.
Today’s unstable weather brought thunderstorms and lightning as expected. The minimal precipitation and gusty winds allowed the lightning to spark several new wildfires.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for a temperature of 27 degrees and 30 percent humidity. More thunderstorms are possible. These conditions will be conducive to new wildfire starts.
Please report wildfires immediately by calling 310-FIRE or #FIRE on your cell phone.
Wildfire Situation
As of 7 p.m., there were 17 wildfires burning in the Lac La Biche Forest Area. As well, 2 fires that are in proximity to this Forest Area but in the Slave Lake Forest Area are being actioned by Lac La Biche crews. In total, 1 fire is out of control, 3 are being held and 13 are under control. Crews also successfully extinguished 6 fires today.
Fires LWF132, LWF133, LWF134, SWF084 and SWF086 are all in the Bovine area, south of Grand Rapids.
Fire LWF132 was discovered yesterday and was lightning caused. It is under control at 0.8 hectare. There are currently 9 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF133 was discovered yesterday and was lightning caused. It is under control at 1 hectare. There are currently 9 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF134 was discovered yesterday and was lightning caused. It is under control at 0.01 hectare. There are currently 4 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fires SWF084 and SWF086 were both discovered yesterday and were lightning caused. Both are under control at 0.01 hectare. There are currently 4 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress these fires. The Lac La Biche Forest Area is assisting the Slave Lake Forest Area with theses incidents.
Fires LWF129, LWF130, LWF139, LWF143, LWF145 and LWF149 are all in the northeast corner of the Lac La Biche Forest Area and in varying distances from the community of Janvier. Currently, the community is not threatened by any of these fires.
Fire LWF129 was discovered July 2 and was lightning caused. It continues to be held at 372 hectares. There are currently 44 firefighters, 6 management staff, 3 pieces of heavy equipment, and 4 helicopters working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF130 was discovered July 2 and was lightning caused. It is under control at 1.3 hectares. This fire was patrolled and assessed yesterday by 9 firefighters. No new hotspots were found. No resources were assigned to the fire today.
Fire LWF139 was discovered yesterday, and its cause is under investigation. It is under control at 1 hectare. There are currently 9 firefighters working to suppress this fire.
Fire LWF143 was discovered today, and its cause is under investigation. It is under control at 0.01 hectare. There are currently 4 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF145 was discovered today, and its cause is under investigation. It is being held at 0.3 hectares. There are currently 4 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF149 was discovered today, and its cause is under investigation. It is being held at 0.01 hectare. There are currently 9 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fires LWF135, LWF136, LWF138 and LWF147 are all in close proximity to one another. They are located in the Wandering River area, west of Highway 63.
Fires LWF135, LWF136 and LWF138 were discovered yesterday and were all lightning caused. LWF135 and LWF136 are under control at 0.01 hectare and LWF138 is under control at 0.02 hectare. Nine firefighters and 1 helicopter have been assigned to this group of wildfires.
Fire LWF147 was discovered today, and its cause is under investigation. It is out of control at 3 hectares. This fire experienced a wind shift in mid-afternoon. It is located approximately 2 kilometres west of Highway 63. Presently, smoke is not impacting the highway. There are currently 14 firefighters, 3 helicopters, 3 pieces of heavy equipment and air tankers working to contain the fire.
Fires LWF140 and LWF146 are both located within the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range.
Fire LWF140 was discovered yesterday, and its cause is under investigation. It is under control at 0.1 hectare. There are currently 3 firefighters and 1 helicopter working to suppress the fire.
Fire LWF146 was discovered today, and its cause is under investigation. It is being held at 6 hectares. There are currently 9 firefighters, 1 helicopter and air tankers working to suppress the fire.
To view the wildfires on a map, download the new AB Wildfire Status App.
A FIRE RESTRICTION remains in place for the Lac La Biche Forest Area due to hot and dry conditions, which are increasing the fire danger.
Under this restriction:
- Existing fire permits are suspended;
- All outdoor fires presently burning under permit must be extinguished, unless approved to continue by a Forest Officer;
- Safe wood campfires within fire rings in campgrounds and backyard fire pits are allowed.
Prohibited:
- Wood campfires on public land
- Fireworks and exploding targets
Allowed:
- Wood campfires on private land
- Wood campfires within provincial campgrounds in a designated campfire ring
- Backyard fire pits on private land
- Charcoal briquette barbeques
- Propane or natural gas fueled appliances
- Indoor wood fires
- Open flame oil devices
Remember to check the hot spots on your Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) and remove debris before and after use.
Never leave a campfire unattended. Soak it, stir it and soak it again until cool to the touch to ensure it is extinguished. If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.
The fire restriction will remain in effect until conditions improve.Provincial Wildfire Situation
As of 10 a.m. July 11, 2021 there were 83 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta (FPA). Nine of these wildfires are out of control, 36 are being held, 37 are under control, and 1 has been turned over to the responsible party.
Since March 1, there have been 797 wildfires in the FPA, burning a total of 8,752 ha.
.png?width=1201&name=WF_Social-images%20(9).png)
OHV Safety
If you are operating an off-highway vehicle, remember to stop often and check your hotspots.
An off-highway vehicle exhaust can reach temperatures of over 200 Celsius, causing debris caught near the exhaust to become superheated. This debris can potentially start a wildfire when it falls to the ground.
New Alberta Wildfire App
Download the new 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.
Available for Apple and Android.
Campfire Safety
.png?width=1201&name=WF_Social-images%20(8).png)
We urge everyone to use caution when working and recreating outdoors. Never leave your campfire unattended. Before leaving, be sure to soak your campfire, stir it and soak it again.
For more information between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., please contact:
Melanie Morin
Wildfire Information Officer
780-623-5272
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
- Emergency Preparation
Social Media:
