Rocky Mountain House Area Update

The wildfire danger is high across the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area. This means that forest fuels are dry and fire risk is serious. Moderate to vigorous surface fire is expected, which may spread to treetops. Conditions may be challenging for fire suppression efforts.

RCX001 - Kiska Complex

Wildfires RWF-064, RWF-063 and RWF-062 are part of the Kiska Complex. RWF-064 remains classified as out of control, and RWF-063 and RWF-062 are classified as being held. These wildfires were caused by lightning. 

There are 57 personnel working on this complex, including 36 firefighters. There are two helicopters and 19 pieces of heavy equipment assigned to the complex to support suppression efforts. An incident management team is overseeing operations.  

RWF-064 - 306 ha

It is located:

• 4 km west of the Forestry Trunk Road (Hwy 734).
• 17 km northwest of the Ram Falls Provincial Park.
• 30 km south of Nordegg.

RWF-062 - 1,550 ha

It is located:

• 5 km west of the Wapiabi Provincial Recreation Area (PRA).
  • Visit the Wapiapi Provincial Recreation Area web page for information on area closures.
  • View the Wapiapi / Blackstone forest area closure map here. 
• 13 km northwest of Crescent Falls PRA.
• 30 km west of Nordegg.

RWF-063 - 1,962 ha

It is located:

• 2 km east of the Jasper National Park border. 
• 17 km west of RWF-062.
• 50 km west of Nordegg.

RWF-064 - Firefighters and heavy equipment operations continue (July 30, 2024). 

RWF-064 has grown slightly due to strong winds and dry conditions. Crews continue to make good progress on establishing a fireguard around RWF-064. Helicopters remain actively involved with bucket operations in priority areas while airtankers continue to drop retardant to reinforce the fireguard and support suppression efforts in the difficult terrain, as the weather allows. The fireguard has been wrapped around the northeast and south sides of the wildfire, bringing containment to 60 per cent. Night-vision enabled helicopter operations were successful the last two nights, and operations will continue tonight, as conditions will allow.

The locations of RWF-062 and RWF-063 fall within the forest management plan, where natural wildfires are expected to offer ecological benefits and promote forest rejuvenation. Given this, the approach for both wildfires is to manage, continuously assess, and monitor their progress, with firefighters ready to act if necessary.

There are no immediate threats to any communities at this time. 

Rocky Mountain House Forest Area Wildfire Update

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 66 wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area, which have burned 3,830.26 hectares (ha). There are currently five active wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area. 

RWF-060 and RWF 061 remain classified as under control. These wildfires are northwest of Nordegg and both are 0.01 ha in size. These wildfires were detected on July 22, and both were caused by lightning. 

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

Visit wildfire status definitions for more information. 

Airtankers and helicopters frequently utilize water from nearby lakes. If you observe aircraft collecting water from a lake, please maintain a distance of at least 30 meters. When watercraft are on the lake, it hinders pilots' ability to gather water efficiently and consumes valuable time. We ask that you relocate to the shore, if possible.

Provincial Wildfire Update (as of 10:00 am on July 30, 2024)

• Since January 1, there have been 995 wildfires recorded in the Forest Protection Area that have burned 562,064 hectares (ha).
• There are currently 177 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area. Of these wildfires, 23 are classified as out of control, 45 are classified as being held and 49 are under control.
  
• There is one carryover wildfire from the 2023 season. 
• There are four wildfires of note in the Forest Protection Area. 

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

A fire ban is in place for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area south of the Pembina River, due to dry conditions and expected weather. Please refer to Alberta Fire Bans for a detailed map.  

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 and restriction 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.