Wildfire Danger
The wildfire danger in the Slave Lake Forest Area has climbed to HIGH. Click here to view the Fire Danger map.
Firefighters urge everyone to use caution as the dead grass will ignite easily and a fire will spread quickly under windy conditions. Report wildfires immediately by calling 310-FIRE(3743).
Weather
The forecast for today is a high of 20 degrees and winds from the southeast 10 kilometres per hour gusting up to 30.The forecast for Wednesday is calling for a high of 21 degrees and winds from the southeast 10 kilometres per hour.
Wildfire Update - May 5, 2020
Since March 1 in the Slave Lake Forest Area, there have been 11 wildfires which have burned a total of 3 hectares.
The McMillan Wildfire which occurred during the 2019 wildfire season, remains under control and will be infrared scanned this spring.
Since March 1 in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, there have been 99 wildfires burning a total of 35.72 hectares.
For more information on the current wildfire situation across the province of Alberta, visit wildfirestatus.alberta.ca.
Firefighters burning grass
Over the next several weeks, firefighters will be burning areas of dry grass in and around many communities in the Slave Lake Forest Area. These burns are conducted by trained firefighters and under specific conditions to ensure they are controlled and to minimize smoke. Spring grass burning lessens the risk of human–caused fires and helps protect homes and communities from future wildfires.
If you have any questions please call Wildfire Information Officer Leah Lovequist 780-849-0945.
Fire Ban in effect
There is a fire ban in effect for the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, as well as in Alberta provincial parks and protected areas, until further notice.
Fire permits are suspended or cancelled. Some allowances can be made for essential agricultural and industrial burning, but will need to be approved by a forest officer.
Prohibited
• Wood campfires on public lands.
• Wood campfires on private land and provincial campgrounds.
• Backyard firepits, and
• Barbeques with charcoal briquettes.
Allowed
• Propane / natural gas powered appliances
• Open flame CSA approved oil devices
• Wood fires in an enclosed facility or device, which have a chimney with a spark arrestor
• Off-Highway Vehicles
** All devices must be CSA approved and used as per manufacturer standards. An enclosed facility or device is one that is fully contained with a chimney that has a spark arrestor. Users are still responsible for care and attendance of all devices and should reduce their use during fire restrictions and bans. Approved activities or devices will not prevent potential prosecution or litigation if the user or device starts a wildfire.
OHV Usage
There are no off-highway vehicle restrictions currently in place in the Forest Protection area. As of right now, all Albertans may enjoy using their off-highway vehicles, including snow machines, on public land until conditions change.
An off-highway vehicle restriction in the Forest Protection Area will be reintroduced if there is an increase in the hazard level. This phased approach will allow us to address the wildfire risk area-by-area, allowing Albertans the freedom to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. We will re-evaluate daily.
These steps are part of a number of actions the department is implementing to help mitigate wildfire risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking action in advance to reduce the number of human-caused wildfires will allow Alberta Wildfire to make the best possible use of resources when the availability of firefighters could be reduced because of the pandemic.
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry will be monitoring conditions, including the availability of firefighting crews and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.The restriction will be amended when appropriate.
Please visit AlbertaFireBans.ca for a map of the affected area.
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 1-866-394-3473
Unless conditions change you can expect your next wildfire update on May 6th.
If you have any questions please contact:
Leah Lovequist
Wildfire Information Officer
Mobile:780-849-0945
Email:Leah.Lovequist@gov.ab.ca
RELATED INFORMATION
Websites:
- Alberta Wildfire
- Alberta Fire Bans
- FireSmart in Alberta
- Alberta Emergency Alerts
- Air Quality Health Index
- Wildfire Smoke and Your Health
- 511 Road Reports
- Emergency Preparation
Social Media:
