Rocky Mountain House Area Update

The wildfire danger across the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area is extreme. This means that forest fuels are extremely dry and pose a very serious fire risk and fast-spreading, high-intensity fires are likely, which are very difficult to control. 

There is a special air quality statement in effect for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area. Wildfire smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. You can use the following resources for more information:

• Wildfire smoke, air quality and your health.
• FireSmoke is an interactive forecast which provides hourly, daily average and daily maximum concentration of smoke particles from wildfires. 

Rocky Mountain House Forest Area Wildfire Update

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 58 wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, which have burned 11.15 hectares. 

There is one active wildfire in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area.

RWF-058 was discovered on July 21, south west of the Brazeau Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area. It is 0.10 hectares in size and is classified as under control. This means the wildfire is completely contained and will be extinguished. Crews will continue to action and monitor the fire until it is extinguished. 

Wildfire Dashboard

The locations and details of all active wildfires in Alberta are available on the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard. This is a great resource to get the most up-to-date information and important statistics like the number of wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, their sizes, locations and more.

You can also download the Alberta Wildfire App for Apple and Android.

A fire ban remains in effect for the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, due to hot and dry conditions.

Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.

Under this fire ban:

• All fire permits are suspended or cancelled.
• No new fire permits will be issued.
• Some allowances can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, if approved by a forest officer.

Prohibited:

• All outdoor wood fires, including wood campfires on public land, private land, designated campgrounds, and backyard firepits.
• Barbeque charcoal briquettes.
• Fireworks and exploding targets.

Allowed:

• Propane/ natural gas-powered appliances.
• Indoor wood fires inside a structure (such as a facility, building, tent or RV) and contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor). 
• Open flame oil devices (such as deep fryers and tiki torches). All devices must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards.

If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE (3473). The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

Stay up to date by visiting Alberta Fire Bans website or downloading the application onto your smartphone: Apple or Android.

Provincial Wildfire Update (as of 10:00 am July 22, 2024)

• Since January 1, there have been 925 wildfires recorded in the Forest Protection Area that have burned 488,513 hectares (ha). 
• There are currently 161 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area. Of these wildfires, 52 are classified as out of control, 49 are classified as being held and 60 are under control.
• There are three carryover wildfires from the 2023 season.
  

For the most up-to-date wildfire information, visit the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.