Peace River Area Update

Peace River Forest Area Update - May 29, 2019 (am)

Posted on Wed, May 29, 2019

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PWF 052 - May 28, pm  

FIRE BAN IN EFFECT

FBSFireBan_SocialMedia-01Due to extreme wildfire danger from dry grass and weather indicators, a Fire Ban and OHV Restriction is now in effect for the Peace River Forest Area and most of northern Alberta. 

Existing fire permits are suspended until further notice. 

Prohibited

  • All open fires including campfires in campgrounds, backcountry and random camping areas and backyard fire pits.
  • Charcoal briquettes, turkey fryers and tiki torches.
  • Fireworks and exploding targets.
  • The use of off-highway vehicles for recreational use on all public lands. 

Allowed

  • Portable propane fire pits that are CSA approved or UL certified.
  • Gas or propane stoves and barbecues that are CSA approved or UL certified and are designed for cooking or heating.
  • Catalytic or infrared-style heaters.
  • OHVs for industrial use, agricultural use, and traditional use by Indigenous peoples, as well as use on private lands. 

The Fire Ban and Off-Highway Vehicle Restriction will remain in effect until conditions improve. 

Many nearby municipalities have advisories, restrictions or firebans in place.  Please check www.albertafirebans.ca for more information and to view a map of the fireban/OHV restriction boundaries.

 

WILDFIRE UPDATE (current as of May 29, 2019 at 11 am)

There have been no new starts in the Peace River Forest Area yet today, allowing firefighters to focus their full efforts on patrols and the fires we already have burning in the area.  Numerous resources including crews, aircraft and heavy equipment groups have been placed throughout the area on standby and at the ready to quickly action any new wildfire starts.  

There have been 70 wildfires in the Peace River Forest Area this fire season, and each of these wildfires has now been extinguished with the exception of five:

WILDFIRES OF NOTE:

Battle Complex (Notikewin and Battle River wildfires):

PWF 052 remains out of control at 33,625 hectares in size in the Notikewin Area. 

  • Fire PWF-052 grew substantially overnight again last night. The growth was seen in many areas of the fire, with an estimated 5,000 hectares of new fire on the north end. That growth was largely to the east, with some movement to the north. The fire was also active along the Chin Road to the west of the fire, on the southwest edge and on the southeast corner.

  • Yesterday evening, fire activity was intense in areas that were directly exposed to the sun and, in many areas on the south and west of the fires, the fire grew against the wind. Daytime growth on the north end was lessened by shade created by smoke.

  • This morning, smoke has blanketed much of the fire. Helicopters are unable to fly until the smoke clears and crews will be challenged to find safe working areas with sufficient visibility. Smoke may continue to be a challenge throughout the day and may impact the community of Manning, highway 35 and the area surrounding the fire.

  • Heavy equipment and firefighters continue working to build guard in strategic locations in front of the fire to slow its progress. They are also using hand tools and water to cool the perimeter in several areas around the fire. Ignitions are being used, when and where practicable, to strengthen guards, reduce the length of the perimeter by removing bays of unburned fuel, and create safe working ground for heavy equipment and firefighters. Helicopters and air tankers are supporting ground suppression.

  •  

    More than 300 firefighters, 24 helicopters, support staff and numerous pieces of heavy equipment are working on this fire today.

  • map of the fire as of yesterday. The last size estimate was 33,625 hectares. A map showing last night’s growth and a new size estimate will be provided when it becomes available.

  • A red flag weather warning continues in the fire area because of low humidity and high temperatures, which means extreme fire behaviour will continue in the coming days.

  • Today, a wind shift to N/NW with speeds of 20 km/h gusting up to 40 km/h is expected. The temperature will reach 30 degrees and relative humidity will remain low. With this forecast, another challenging day of intense fire activity lays ahead. Instability in the air may result in gusty winds today and into Thursday. Cooler temperatures will be offset by windy conditions on Thursday.

PWF 054 is under control at 74.23 hectares in size in the Battle River area.    

PWF 070 is out of control at 251 hectares in size west of Keg River.  Numerous firefighters and  helicopters continue to work towards containing this fire today.  The fire has been completely surrounded by dozer guard and that guard has held so far today.

PWF 070 map 

 OTHER WILDFIRES IN THE AREA:

  • PWF 064 has been turned over to the landowner at 0.01 hectares in size. 
  • PWF 066 has been turned over to the landowner at 10.50 hectares in size in the Three Creeks area. 

For your safety and the safety of the numerous firefighters working to contain these wildfires, please stay obey the access restrictions and stay out of the area if you do not need to be there.

 

For information on the wildfire situation across the province of Alberta, visit: wildfire.alberta.ca.

 

FIRE WEATHER

FIRE WEATHER WARNING IN EFFECT

Crossover conditions have been forecasted for today.  This means temperatures will be higher than the relative humidity resulting in very dry forest vegetation.  This combined with the gusty winds (NW 20 km/hr gusting up to 35km/hr) that are expected, will create extremely volatile burning conditions.

Numerous firefighters, helicopters, airtankers and heavy equipment groups have been strategically placed throughout the Peace River Forest Area in preparation for any new wildfire starts.  Please help them get to fires quickly by calling 310-FIRE to report wildfires.

 

SAFETY NOTICES

EVACUATIONS

County of Northern Lights:

Due to the current extreme dry conditions, winds and the advancement of the Notikewin Wildfire (Battle Complex) the County of Northern Lights is issuing an EVACUATION ALERT for households located north of 7th avenue NW/Township Rd. 915, all the way north to Twin Lakes Campground and as far east as the Notikewin River.

Potentially affected residents must begin preparations to evacuate on short notice (fueling vehicles, gathering documents, preparing food and water, animal safety, etc.). A map of the evacuation alert area is available here.
 
In the event that an Evacuation order is given, the County will instruct you on an evacuation route and reception centres at that time. This evacuation alert does not affect the Town of Manning. Only County residents north to the Twin Lakes Campground.
 
Please continue to monitor the local media station, the County Website at: www.countyofnorthernlights.com and County Facebook page for updates.
 
Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement:
 
For information on the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement evacuation, please visit their Facebook page.


For more information on evacuation alerts, visit Alberta Emergency Alert or download the free Alberta Emergency Alert app.

72 hour emergency preparedness kit      

ROAD CLOSURES

For information on road closures and other access related hazards, visit Alberta 511 or download the free Alberta 511 app.

SMOKE

Smoke may be drifting into the area for the foreseeable future. Anyone with health concerns should check with Alberta Health Services or call 811 for 24/7 health advice from Alberta Health Link. For a smoke forecast map, visit Wildfire Smoke Forecasts for Western Canada.

 

FIRE PERMITS SUSPENDED

All fire permits have been suspended, effective on May 16 at 6 pm.  No fire permits will be issued until the fire danger conditions improve.  

Please call the Peace River Forest Area office at 780-624-6190 if you have any questions about fire permits.

 

DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT WILDFIRES

Please continue to respect the fire ban and quad restriction currently in effect.  

  

FIRESMART

You can protect your home from wildfire

Protecting your home from wildfire starts with simple actions. Whether you are doing regular yard maintenance or making large scale changes during renovations or landscaping, you can make choices that will help protect your home from wildfire.

Learn more at firesmartcanada.ca.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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Or contact:

Crystal Burrows 

Wildfire Information Officer

(780) 618-6215

crystal.burrows@gov.ab.ca

Many nearby municipalities have advisories, restrictions or firebans in place.  Please check www.albertafirebans.ca before doing any burning.