The extreme heat and dry conditions that Alberta has seen this week have prompted officials with the Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park to implement a fire ban effective Friday.
As well, the Town of Hinton has issued a total fire ban, and the Alberta government put a fire ban in place for the entire Forest Protection Area as of Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
There have been 137 new wildfire starts since July 1.
“Alberta has been experiencing difficult conditions in recent days, and the risk of new wildfire starts is extremely high throughout the province,” said Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen in a prepared press statement.
This means that all fire permits issued by Alberta’s government are now suspended or cancelled. No new fire permits will be issued while the ban is in place.
Under this ban, all outdoor wood fires are strictly prohibited in the Forest Protection Area. This includes wood campfires on public land, private land, designated campgrounds and backyard firepits. In addition to these restrictions, no one may use a charcoal briquette barbeque, fireworks or exploding targets.
People may still use propane- and natural gas-powered appliances, as well as indoor wood fires inside a structure such as a building, tent or RV, that are contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor.
Currently, there are no active wildfires in Jasper National Park. Locally, the fire danger rating is at “extreme”.
The Edson Forest Area announced that its wildfire danger rating is also now at “extreme” with the warning that crossover conditions are expected as the relative humidity is lower than the temperature, which can create extreme wildfire behaviour.
“Now, more than ever, Albertans must work together to protect our communities and forests by remaining vigilant, spending time outdoors responsibly and avoiding activities that can cause a wildfire,” Loewen stated.
There are currently 63 active wildfires in Alberta, with 21 listed as out of control. MWF060, the Rabbit Lake wildfire, is burning out of control in the Fort McMurray Forest Area and has grown to more than 3,700 hectares. It was caused by lightning.
The Little Red River Cree Nation has issued an evacuation order for Garden River located east of High Level and about 700 people are being evacuated.
The Semo Wildfire Complex in that area is comprised of four separate wildfires north of John D'Or Prairie, Garden River and Fox Lake, including Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park. The largest of those wildfires is HWF061, which is listed as out of control and is estimated to be around 40,000 hectares in size. It was caused by lightning.
People are advised to check if a fire ban is in effect in their area.
Over the past five years, 67 per cent of wildfires have been caused by human activity.
Throughout the province, people are asked to call 310-FIRE (3473) to report any suspicious smoke or flame in the forest.
In Jasper, people can report any wildfires, illegal campfires or suspicious smoke to Parks Canada Dispatch at 780-852-6155 or by calling 911.
