Rocky Mountain House Area Update

The wildfire danger in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area is VERY HIGH. 

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

WILDFIRE SITUATION

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

RWF-038:

This wildfire was discovered on July 19, located 19km west of Nordegg. It is classified as out of control at approximately 366.5 hectares.

The wildfire showed a bit of growth today on the northwest corner. Tomorrow, air tankers and helicopters will continue to work on the wildfire from the air. Two pieces of heavy equipment will start building guard for a fire perimeter. Lower temperatures and higher humidity values forecast for tomorrow should be more favorable for fighting the wildfire. The evacuation orders and alerts issued by Clearwater County remain in place. Please visit emergencyalert.alberta.ca or download the Alberta Emergency Alert App for additional information.  

Additional wildland firefighters as well as helicopters and airtankers will be continuing work on this wildfire tomorrow. At this time all roadways remain open. Please visit 511 for the most up-to-date information on any roadway closures in the area. Traffic may be slowed on highway 11 near Nordegg do to smoke and wildfire operations.

Since January 1, there have been 39 wildfires in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area which have burned 366.5 hectares. 

Since January 1, there have been 656 wildfires in Alberta which have burned 97,395 hectares. There is one wildfire of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta at this time.

A fire advisory is now in effect for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area section of the Forest Protection Area due to current and forecasted weather conditions. Fine fuels and wooden debris are very dry and could ignite easily from any spark, friction or hot exhaust. Use extreme caution when working or recreating outdoors.

At this time, there are no changes to existing permits but any new permits will be considered on a case by case basis.

The public and residents in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area can continue to use a fire pit, charcoal briquettes on a barbecue, or a safe campfire and recreational off-highway vehicles. When recreating in the backcountry make sure your campfire is completely extinguished by soaking the ashes, stirring them and soaking them again.

The fire advisory will remain in place until conditions improve.

NEW WILDFIRE DASHBOARD

The new 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. 

For more information, please contact: