Whitecourt Area Update

ACTIVE WILDFIRES 

As of 10:00 a.m. today there were 91 active wildfires in the province; 25 of them were classified out of control. To date the province has responded to 496 wildfires that have consumed more than 842,000 hectares of land.

Safety is a primary concern on all wildfires in Alberta. Wildfire fighters start each day with a safety briefing to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities on the fireline and how weather conditions could affect their work environment that day. 

Eagle Complex WCX001 (WWF023, GPF027)

All new information will be bolded.

WWF023 detected on May 5, is burning out of control estimated at 66,645 ha. Containment lines north of the Town of Fox Creek continue to hold. 

The Ontario Incident Management Team completed its first full day on the Eagle Complex. Today they are focusing on ensuring the wildfire does not cross the dozer guard in place from Iosegon Lake to Fox Creek, gathering updated information on the fire perimeters weather permitting, and starting work on building a guard around the area where the wildfire crossed Highway 43 north of Fox Creek. 

Alberta has 40 firefighters ands support personnel allocated to this fire along with a structural protection unit and the Fox Creek Fire Department. Partners from other jurisdictions include Helitack crew members from Oregon, along with 20 other United States-based firefighters, soldiers from 1 Combat Engineer Regiment, and a 19 member unit crew from New Brunswick.

Equipment includes 1 light, 6 intermediate, 5 medium and 2 heavy helicopters; the heavy helicopters are dedicated to bucketing operations. Heavy equipment operators continued their efforts.

Additionally, three structural groups from municipalities in the Alberta Wildland Urban Interface Fire Structure Protection Program have been working together on structural protection for the community.

Crews will continue searching for hotspots on an ongoing basis. 

Wildfires burn very hot and will burn into the ground. The situation remains ever-changing and conditions on the fire line will continue to vary due to forecasted weather. Containment lines to the north and west of town continue to hold up to to prevent the wildfire from spreading further into the community of Fox Creek. 

The fire is burning on the ground surface of the ground but also climbing into the trees and creating a crown fire. Grasses and other fuels remain dry. Smoky conditions are anticipated to continue. Today, NW winds are expected for most of the day. the winds are projected to blow from a NW direction. 

GWF-027 was detected on May 13 and is currently out of control at 28, 959 ha. New information from May 18 will be included on this page. For information up to May 17, please refer to Grande Prairie updates here. 

OTHER AREA ACTIVE WILDFIRES 

WWF029 was detected the afternoon of May 15 and is classified being held at approximately 0.26 ha. Alberta Wildfire has two ground crews and two helicopters on site monitoring.

WWF026 was detected on the afternoon of May 12 and is classified as under control at 0.05 ha. It is currently on patrol status with crews monitoring.

WWF024 was detected on May 6 and is under control at 3 ha. Alberta Wildfire will continue working to extinguish the fire. A dozer guard has been constructed by industry personnel.

FIRE BAN AND OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE RESTRICTION NOW IN EFFECT

Under this fire ban:

• All existing Fire Permits are suspended (or cancelled)
• No new Fire Permits will be issued

Prohibited:

• 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

Allowed:

• 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

If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

780-778-7166 if this line is unavailable please call 780-778-7153

General Information Related to Alberta Wildfire or Fire Bans, Restrictions, or Advisories

1-866-FYI-FIRE

General/Other Forestry Related Questions

780-778-7153