Rocky Mountain House Area Update

The wildfire danger in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area is now High. 

Report smoke or fire in the forest by calling 310-FIRE (3473). 

A FIRE BAN and OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RESTRICTION remain in effect for the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area

• All existing fire permits are suspended (or cancelled)
• No new fire permits will be issued

• All outdoor wood fires are banned, including wood campfires on public lands, wood campfires on private land and provincial campgrounds
• Backyard firepits
• BBQ charcoal briquettes
• The use of fireworks and exploding targets
• The recreational use of off-highway vehicles (OHV) on public lands, including designated OHV trails

• Propane/natural gas-powered appliances
• Open flame oil devices (e.g., turkey deep fryers, tiki torches)
• Indoor wood fires contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor
• All appliances must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards
• Indigenous people when using an OHV for traditional purposes. Traditional purposes are hunting, fishing, and trapping – including the use of an OHV to travel to the location(s) for these purposes.
• Essential industry-related activities requiring the use of OHVs.
• Off-highway vehicle use is still permitted on private lands. 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE FOREST AREA UPDATE

There are currently five wildfires burning in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area. Two of these wildfires are OUT OF CONTROL, one is being held, and two are classified as under control. Since January 1, 2023 there have been 43 wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, burning a total of 97,571.94 hectares (ha).

ACTIVE WILDFIRES

RCU005 - This wildfire is located just outside Drayton Valley. It is approximately 4,959 ha in size. Alberta Wildfire is providing support with aircraft and firefighters. Crews are working to establish a containment line along the highway and have had some success in steering the wildfire away from the community. The fire showed some increased fire activity today inside the fire perimeter. The perimeter itself continues to hold with crews continuing suppression and securement.  

PEMBINA WILDFIRE COMPLEX - includes EWF031/039, RWF034/040

EWF031 was detected on May 4 and is located 25 km west of Lodgepole, 20 km northwest of Brazeau Dam and 14 km southeast of Edson. The fire is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 82,666 ha in size. There are 72 firefighters and support staff being shared between this fire and EWF039. There are 20 pieces of heavy equipment three helicopters, and five additional helicopters are assigned to the complex. Personnel are making good progress building containment lines on the northern flank. Helicopters are aiding crews and heavy equipment with bucket support. Minimal perimeter growth occurred today, and rank 1 fire behaviour was observed (smouldering ground fire and slow rate of spread). This was due to fair and stable weather conditions; however, a warming and drying trend will start tomorrow and is expected to continue for several days. 

RWF034 is located near the O'Chiese Reserve and classified as out of control. The fire is currently estimated at 67,042 ha in size. There are 20 firefighters and support staff working on this wildfire along with helicopters and heavy equipment. There are three helicopters assigned to the fire and five additional helicopters assigned to the complex. In addition, there are 20 pieces of heavy equipment. Crews are focused on locating and extinguishing hot spots within the O'Chiese Reserve and are utilizing direct attack along the constructed guard.

RWF040 is located 6 km northeast of the Forestry Trunk Road and Brown Creek Provincial Recreational Area and is classified as out of control. The fire is currently estimated to be 2,200 ha in size.

These fires are part of the Pembina Complex, for more information on all the wildfires in the complex please refer to the Edson Forest Area page.

Lightning through the area has been causing many fire starts. Lightning can cause wildfire, which can smoulder on the ground for a few days before becoming active and visible. This is called a "holdover" fire. Alberta Forestry, parks and tourism follows weather forecasts and also tracks each lightning strike using a tracking system. This allows them to pinpoint where there are areas that have been heavily impacted by lightning. They then send out firefighters to patrol these areas.

PROVINCIAL WILDFIRE UPDATE 

Since January 1, 2023 in the Forest Protection Area, there have been 448 wildfires burning a total of 482,501.55 ha.

WILDFIRE DASHBOARD

The wildfire dashboard provides up-to-date wildfire information at the click of a button. This interactive tool displays important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more.

The dashboard builds on the former wildfire status map by displaying the most frequently accessed information in one convenient location.

WILDFIRE INFORMATION

Download the 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 all on your mobile device.

Available for Apple and Android.

Before heading out, please check albertafirebans.ca to determine whether there are any fire advisories, fire restrictions or fire bans in effect for your destination.