There is one wildfire of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.
Fire number: MWF031
Status: Being held
Size: 7,650 hectares (ha)
Location: 21 km north of Fort Chipewyan
Infrastructure nearby: Remote cabins
Resources assigned: Incident Management Team, ignition specialist, structure protection specialist, five helicopters, 20 firefighters (arriving today)
Comments: This wildfire is actively managed and monitored by firefighters on a daily basis and is not threatening any communities at this time. Forecasted winds are expected to shift and push the fire towards the north, away from the community of Fort Chipewyan. Firefighters expect the wildfire to grow up to 2,000 ha on its north flank.
A structure protection specialist will begin assessing the area and building a plan for the community of Fort Chipewyan and surrounding area, as a precaution in the event that the wildfire does approach or a new one ignites.
Yesterday, firefighters were successful at achieving their goal of tying the wildfire to natural fuel breaks in an attempt to prevent the wildfire from moving south.
This wildfire is located in a wildfire management zone and will be allowed to safely play its natural role on the landscape on its northern flank, away from the community of Fort Chipewyan. Using this wildfire management strategy has many benefits. It re-introduces fire onto the landscape, creates a break in the continuous fuels, reduces the intensity of the fire, provides safety zones for our firefighting crews to work from and reduces the cost of fighting these wildfires.
This information will be updated tomorrow by 11 a.m..
A wildfire of note is determined to be of significant public interest and may pose a threat to public safety, communities or critical infrastructure.
Wildfires of note do not typically include mutual aid wildfires located outside of the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Alberta Wildfire provides assistance on a mutual aid wildfire but is not the lead agency.
The Forest Protection Area of Alberta is divided into ten forest areas. Find the latest updates for each area or subscribe to receive them in your inbox.
Rocky Mountain House Forest Area