Whitecourt Forest Area Wildfire Update May 22, 2023 (11:00 A.M.)

ACTIVE WILDFIRES 

Provincial overview:

As of 10:00 a.m. today there were 83 active wildfires in the province; 23 of them were classified out of control. To date the province has responded to 501wildfires that have consumed more than 945,000 hectares (ha) of land.

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

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. 

Rain is expected through the day increasing in amounts later in the afternoon/evening. Firefighters will betaking advantage of the quieter fire behaviour to reinforce the guard west of Fox Creek and to build new line along the southern edge of the excursion that crossed Highway 43 north of Fox Creek.

Heavy equipment will also be working guards north of Fox Creek to remove hazardous trees that have had their rot structure compromised by the fire - these trees have a greater chance of being blown over posing a significant risk to firefighters in the short term and residents of the community going forward.

There are 164 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.

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, Rain expected through the day in increasing amounts towards the end of the day. Winds will be generally northerly switching to a more steady northeasterly direction by end of day. Winds strengthen from 15-20 km/h through the day to 25-30 km/h by late afternoon and early evening with gusts up to 60 km/h. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity values

GWF-027 was detected on May 13 and is out of control at 54,274 ha. Whitecourt Forest Area is responsible for managing this wildfire as of May 18. For information up to May 17, please refer to Grande Prairie Forest Area updates here. 

Two dozer groups are moving to the wildfire tomorrow and will begin building containment lines. Firefighters continue to monitor the wildfire.

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