Wildfire

Starting tomorrow, the BC Wildfire Service is implementing a campfire ban in all parts of B.C., except Haida Gwaii.    

The ban will take effect at noon (Pacific time) on Friday, July 12, 2024, and will remain until further notice.

The ban is being implemented to help prevent human-caused wildfires and help protect public safety. The category 1 (campfires) ban is in addition to current provincewide bans for category 2 and 3 fires. This means open fires of any size, except those licensed for prescribed burns, will be prohibited everywhere in B.C., outside of Haida Gwaii.

The Peace River Regional District has issued an Evacuation Alert #1 for the Tupper Creek Wildfire.

This wildfire is currently listed as Out of Control, and anticipated to spread beyond the current perimeter, or control line.

Due to the potential danger to life and health, the following area is asked to be on alert:

-198 Road and the BC Provincial border

-West to Hwy 2 and 198 Road

-Continuing west along the 198 Road to the Kiskatinaw River

Hundreds of people in northern Alberta have been ordered to flee their homes because of a wildfire.

Little Red River Cree Nation issued an evacuation order yesterday for the 700 residents of Garden River, a community in Wood Buffalo National Park.

A provincial alert says the community is not in any immediate danger, but there were concerns the fire could cut off access to the only road in.

Officials estimate the wildfire to be about 400 square kilometres in size and say it was caused by lightning.

On Tuesday an Evacuation Order was issued by the Fort Nelson First Nation for the Kahntah Reserve in Northeastern B.C.

Areas affected include:

-112 km Southeast of IR#2 FNFN

-109 km Northeast of Prophet River

-48 km Northeast of Fontas Reserve

-116 km Southeast of Fort Nelson

Residents and visitors were informed they must leave immediately by boat. 

Firefighting efforts are underway and remain a significant distance away from the Fort Nelson First Nation IR#2 reserve and the settled area Fort Nelson.

A fire ban is now in effect for the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta, including the Grande Prairie Forest Area.

All fire permits issued by Alberta’s government are now suspended or cancelled, and no new fire permits will be issued while the ban is in place.

Cities, towns, villages and summer villages, as well as federal lands (such as national parks), are exempt from this ban. These jurisdictions have the authority to issue their own bans and may have complementary bans in place.

Effective at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, the City of Grande Prairie Fire Department has issued a Fire Ban within the municipal boundaries. The ban is in place due to hot and dry conditions, creating an extreme fire hazard threat for the area.

The City of Grande Prairie has issued a fire advisory, effective Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 12 p.m. due to hot and dry conditions.

Under this advisory:

• Fire permits for open burning and fireworks will not be issued.
• Existing burning permits are suspended.
• New fire pit permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis, for light burning only.

Permitted Activities:

Mackenzie County has issued an evacuation notice (alert) for Zama. 

Please avoid the area and do not use drones in the vicinity of Zama City. 

Alberta Wildfire personnel, aircraft and equipment operators are continuing to respond to this wildfire, which is currently out of control — meaning the wildfire is burning and is expected to continue growing. The fire remains approximately 8.5 km southwest of Zama City and is estimated to cover about 3,200 hectares (ha). The cause of this wildfire remains under investigation.

The grassfire in Springbank has been contained and extinguished as of 8:00 p.m.

The fire's location on a forested hillside made ground efforts challenging, but air support was successfully used to prevent the spread.

Rocky View County (RVC) officials say fire crews will stay on site throughout the evening to monitor for hot spots.

Effective at 11:00 a.m. today, Thursday, May 30, 2024, the County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service will lift the fire restriction that was put in place on May 17 for the entire County, along with the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley. 

Due to cooler temperatures and recent rainfall, the County will not have any advisories in place as the fire danger in the region is now low.  

Residents are encouraged to check any burn piles from this winter to ensure they are completely extinguished.