Wildfire

Effective at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service will downgrade the Fire Restriction to a Fire Advisory for the entire County, along with the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley.

While the Fire Advisory is in effect, fire permits may be restricted.

Burning is not allowed when winds reach, or are forecasted to reach, 12 kilometres per hour or higher.

The Hamelin Creek Wildfire (GWF028), located in the Blueberry Mountain area, is still classified as Out of Control, at 5,557 ha, with approximately 67 km of perimeter fire guard to maintain.

The State of Local Emergency issued by Saddle Hills County has expired, as of June 23, 2025, at 6:25 p.m. and the mandatory Evacuation Order has been rescinded. The fire poses no immediate threat to residents, at this time. However, an Evacuation Alert remains in effect for all those in the vicinity of the fire (pictured) and residents should remain prepared, should conditions change.

Fire activity on the Kiskatinaw River Wildfire has continued to decrease, and the wildfire is now classified as Being Held, meaning it is not expected to spread beyond its current boundaries. As a result, the evacuation alert issued for residents north of Township Road 710 to 740, east of the British Columbia/Alberta border to Range Road 132 has been cancelled. 

The City of Grande Prairie fire ban has been downgraded to a fire restriction for all areas of the city, including annexed rural areas, as of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18 due to improved, but still dry conditions.

Permitted activities:

·Propane and natural gas barbecues.

·Propane and natural gas firepits.

·Propane and natural gas appliances.

·Charcoal briquette barbecues.

·Indoor wood fireplaces.

·Residential fire pits with spark arrestor or screen.

Effective at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service will downgrade the Fire Ban to a Fire Restriction for the entire County, along with the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley.  

UPDATE: June 11, 2025

Alberta Wildfire continues to respond to wildfire GWF040, located approximately 78 km south of Grande Prairie and 19 km east of Highway 40. The wildfire is estimated at 370 hectares in size, with firefighting crews, heavy equipment, and aircraft actively working in the area.

UPDATE: June 11, 2025

Overnight conditions reduced fire activity, but heavy smoke limited visibility, impacting planned operations. Today, progress continues on the Kiskatinaw River Wildfire as weather conditions are expected to improve. 

The size of the wildfire is 21,679 hectares. The evacuation order and alert issued by the County of Grande Prairie remain in effect. 

Operations 

UPDATE: June 11, 2025

Overnight the wildfire crossed into the west side of the Moonshine Lake Provincial Park boundaries. The Savanna Fire Department is standing by, ready to protect structures. The County of Saddle Hills is constructing a fire guard between the wildfire and Moonshine Lake in coordination with Alberta Parks. Blueberry and Happy Valley fire departments are also supporting firefighting operations in the area.

The St. Laurent Fire Department is proudly unveiling a major addition to its emergency response fleet, a custom-built Wildland Type 5 Firefighting Apparatus, designed specifically to meet the growing need for wildland fire protection in the area.

This new vehicle represents more than just a tool in the department’s arsenal, it’s a homegrown success story.

The Rural Municipality of St. Laurent is actively offering support to evacuees affected by the recent wildfires, even though the area itself is not a designated evacuation zone.

Reeve Richard Chartrand says the community is prepared to provide assistance and is calling for volunteers to help with ongoing efforts.

“We started yesterday (Wednesday) and we had zero people show up, but it was our first day to start and we kind of expected that,” Chartrand notes.