Whitecourt Area Update

ACTIVE WILDFIRES 

Provincial overview:

As of 10:00 a.m. today there were 72 active wildfires in the province; 20 of them were classified out of control. To date the province has responded to 518 wildfires that have consumed more than 1,000,000 hectares (ha) of land.

Eagle Complex WCX-001 (WWF-023, GPF-027)

Crews will be taking advantage of the recent rains to focus on extinguishing hotspots inside the perimeter 0f the wildfire. 

All new information will be bolded.

WWF-023 detected on May 5, is burning out of control at 72,830 ha. Firefighters saw no further growth towards Fox Creek today. 

Crews continued working in from the perimeter along the fire guard along the Iosegun Lake road. Along the excursion south of Highway 43 firefighters built more hose line along the wildfire and heavy equipment groups are establishing more fire breaks along that same line. 

There are more than 160 firefighters and support personnel allocated to this fire along with a structural protection unit and the Fox Creek Fire Department. Partners assisting Alberta on the complex include firefighters from Colorado, New Brunswick and soldiers from 1 Combat Engineer Regiment.

Weather conditions kept helicopters on the ground today. There are currently 17 helicopters assigned to the Eagle complex including 2 heavy helicopters dedicated to bucketing operations. 

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.

Weather Today, Last night 50-65 mm of rainfall occurred across the Eagle complex. This moisture will significantly reduce fire behaviour over the complex today.

GWF-027 was detected on May 13 and is out of control at 54,274 ha. Two dozer groups and crews worked the southern edge of the wildfire today.

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