We knew it was coming, but the rainy weather in June made us hopeful we might skip the smoky skies and burning forests this summer.
But alas… a summer heat wave is scorching the province and the wildfires are back.
Fire advisories and bans are now in place province-wide, so here’s everything you need to know heading into the two hottest months of the year.
What We’re Up Against
Alberta has seen 137 new wildfire starts since July 1, with several active blazes, including the Semo Wildfire Complex, prompting evacuations.
As of July 15, 95 wildfires are burning in the province.
The Semo Wildfire Complex is north of John D’Or Prairie, Garden River, and Fox Lake.
An evacuation order was issued for Garden River, Alberta, due to wildfire concerns affecting the community’s access to Highway 58.
According to Alberta Wildfire, the community is not in immediate danger, but the main concern is that a wildfire about 30km away may cut off access to Highway 58, which is the only way in or out for the 700 people who live there.
“If the fire continues on its current pathway, we don’t want anyone getting trapped,” said Conroy Sewepagaham, chief of Little Red River Cree Nation, in a public warning on Facebook.
Further east, firefighters are making some headway on the largest blaze in the Cattail Lake Complex, burning eight kilometres northeast of Suncor’s Firebag oilsands facility and about 70 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray
Several out-of-control fires are also raging in the Edson forest area, one about 18 kilometers northeast of Cynthia about 75 hectares.
Melissa Story, an information officer with Alberta Wildfire, said in the last week the wildfire status in the province overall has gotten far more severe.
“As a result, the total area burned has doubled in the last 48 hours,” Story said.
Frontline firefighters are in for another week of tough conditions, with heat warnings in effect for most of northern Alberta for this week (July 15 – 21).
Actions Being Taken
In response to the increasing fire risk, the entirety of the province has been put under a fire ban for the Forest Protection Area.
Rocky View County Fire Services has issued an additional Fire Advisory effective immediately for all of Rocky View County due to extreme fire risk in the Calgary area.
Under the fire advisory and ban, certain activities are restricted while some exceptions apply:
Under restrictions, burning and fireworks permits are on hold. That means no outdoor wood fires, charcoal BBQs, fireworks, or exploding targets.
But there’s plenty of ways you can safely and legally hang out around a campfire this summer.
To check to see if the area you live is under a fire ban or fire advisory head over to the Alberta Fire Bans website.
What You Can Do
Under a fire advisory, you’re good to use indoor fireplaces, camp stoves, any type of BBQ (charcoal, propane, or natural gas), wood pellet grills, propane/natural gas fire pits, campfires in designated areas, chimeneas, fires in approved camping spots.
Additionally, essential agricultural or industrial burning like incinerators and burning barrels are still allowed with approval from a forest officer.
As places like Jasper are seeing temperatures soar, setting new highs that haven’t been seen in decades, we need to be more careful than ever.
You can check our article on how you can prepare personally for possible evacuation orders.
We have also created a handy Fires page on our website so you can keep up to date with all things fire and smole related in the province.
As the current heatwave increase the rick of wildfires in the province, it’s crucial for Albertans to stay informed.
Whether you’re chilling by a propane fire pit or facing evacuation orders. Stay safe out there!
