Wildfires of note

July 10, 2022

Written by Alberta Wildfire | Jul 10, 2022 4:19:30 PM

There is one wildfire of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.

Fire number: MWF031

Status: Being held

Size: 24,237 hectares (ha)

Location: 21 km north of Fort Chipewyan

Infrastructure nearby: Remote cabins

Resources assigned: Incident Management Team, ignition specialist, structure protection specialist and crews, 40 firefighters, and six helicopters.

Comments:

This wildfire remains on the edge of Flett Lake and is growing towards the north. The wildfire is estimated to be 24,237 ha in size and was caused by lightning. It does not threaten any communities at this time. The fire has not grown towards the south and therefore has not gotten closer to Fort Chipewyan or the airport.

Firefighters expect the fire behaviour to pick up in the afternoon today. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the high 20s with humidity around 35%. Winds are expected to come from the southwest at 15 km/h, which will push the wildfire towards the northeast. There is a chance of showers and thundershowers in the evening.

Firefighters and helicopters will continue their indirect attack on the wildfire today. Yesterday, firefighters continued to work on strengthening the containment line to the south of the fire. They were assisted by helicopter bucketing operations. The containment line has been established along a natural break located between Flett Lake, Little Rapids and towards the boundary of Wood Buffalo National Park. It's intended to prevent the wildfire from spreading south.

Another group of firefighters continued structure protection by deploying equipment such as pumps, hoses and sprinkler systems on buildings identified as being directly threatened by the wildfire. The structure protection plan is now complete for the community of Allison Bay. The protection plan for Fort Chipewyan, the airport and the airport road is nearly complete. 

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. 

Calgary Forest Area 

Edson Forest Area 

Fort McMurray Forest Area 

Grande Prairie Forest Area 

High Level Forest Area 

Lac La Biche Forest Area 

Peace River Forest Area 

Rocky Mountain House Forest Area 

Slave Lake Forest Area 

Whitecourt Forest Area