Category Archives: Forest Fires

Hot and dry conditions have worsened wildfires throughout Western Canada, forcing thousands from their homes and leaving many regions under a layer of smoke. “Prayers are needed for rain,” Chief Wilfred Hooka-Nooza of Dene Tha First Nation in northwestern Alberta said Tuesday. Hundreds of people were forced earlier this week to flee Chateh, a community that is part of the First Nation, as a blaze approached. …An email was sent to all Government of Alberta employees Tuesday asking anyone with firefighting experience to volunteer. Sixty additional firefighters from Ontario also arrived in the province. …An evacuation order for Drayton Valley, where some people lost their homes as a wildfire tore through nearly two weeks ago, was partially lifted. …The weather has not been co-operative in battling blazes in northern British Columbia, and officials there said an ongoing heat wave is increasing the fire risk further south.

The Alberta government is asking its public employees to volunteer to help the firefighting effort as wildfires displace thousands across the province. Public service commissioner Tim Grant put out a call for employees who may have previous firefighting experience or training on Tuesday. Grant also put a call out for employees who may have experience in wildfire support roles or have served as part of an incident management team in the memo. …“We are grateful for all the Alberta public service staff who have been working tirelessly to keep Albertans safe.” Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen told reporters at a wildfire update on Tuesday that the province needs all the help it can get to fight the widespread wildfires. We’re pulling out all the stops that we can to try to get as many experienced people on the front lines as we can,” Loewen said.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Hundreds of firefighters are taking advantage of a weather break to prepare for a potential worsening of conditions near the wildfire-threatened city of Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia, as the community of 21,000 remains on evacuation alert. Hannah Swift, an information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said 400 fire personnel, 22 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 helicopters were in the vicinity of four blazes close to the city. “We have more resources arriving by the hour,” she told a news briefing. She said a break in the weather, in which winds dropped and shifted direction, had been “a bit of a reprieve” for Fort St. John and crews had used the opportunity to reassess and position themselves ahead of a warm front. …The BC Wildfire Services said parts of British Columbia are already in the midst of their “core fire season,” months ahead of schedule.

Additional coverage in CBC News: Fort St. John residents watch and wait as wildfires burn near city

British Columbia wildfire officials say the intense and early wildfire onset is posing a “significant and extreme fire” risk in the north that will likely intensify across the south of the province in the coming days. Starting Thursday, a provincewide open-burning ban will begin, and a campfire ban will apply to the Prince George Fire Region, the B.C. Wildfire Service announced Tuesday. …As the high-pressure ridge moves and pushes higher temperatures further south, the risk will increase across the southwest coast and in the southeast. “I wouldn’t be surprised if alerts and orders shift out of the north and into the rest of the province,” said Chapman. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston recognized the challenges of evacuation orders and urged British Columbians to follow the fire bans and to be careful on the upcoming May long weekend.

As temperatures remain high and conditions dry heading into the May long weekend, a provincial fire ban has been put in place for large parts of northern Saskatchewan. Citing the “hot, dry conditions and an extreme fire risk that covers most of northern Saskatchewan,” the provincial government announced that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency had issued a provincial fire ban, effective immediately, for Crown lands, provincial parks and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. “While many people are looking forward to the long weekend, the decision to implement a fire ban is necessary in order to protect lives, communities, major infrastructure and resources from wildfire,” SPSA president and fire commissioner Marlo Pritchard said in a statement. …A convoy of vehicles was allowed to leave a northern Saskatchewan village early Tuesday morning after Buffalo Narrows issued a mandatory evacuation order. The village had issued a state of emergency on Monday.

Additional coverage in CTV News Saskatoon, by Josh Lynn: ‘This is a big fire’: Raging Sask. wildfire forces further evacuations

Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston and BCWS’s Cliff Chapman provide an update on the wildfire outlook for B.C.

https://youtu.be/-EICJZtHmIg

LAKELAND, Alberta – Going into a forecasted week of above seasonal temperatures, local and provincial fire officials are urging extreme caution in extremely hazardous conditions. Along with the provincial fire ban, officials are urging area residents to use extreme caution when it comes to the dry grasslands and forests of the region. In and around Lac La Biche County, several wildfires continue to burn, with crews reporting them as either being held or under control. Two fires in the Beaver Lake Cree Nation are still listed as under control. …Across the Lac La Biche Forest Protection Area that covers the Lakeland area and north into the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, one new fire in the northern part of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range has already scorched 380 hectares and is classified as out of control. 

Advancing wildfires in northeastern B.C. have more than 20,000 people prepared to leave their homes at a moment’s notice. The entire municipality of Fort St. John has been placed on evacuation alert due to advancing wildfires in the area. An alert means that people do not need to leave their homes but should be prepared to do so at a moment’s notice. The alert was issued at 2:30 p.m. Pacific due to the Stoddart Creek Wildfire, which is classified as out of control and is estimated to cover 180 square kilometres (18,000 hectares) as of noon Monday. It is one of two large fires burning northwest of Fort St. John, along with the Red Creek fire. Highway 97 has also been closed 27 kilometres north of the city due to the blaze, with fire information officer Hannah Swift saying that the Stoddart Creek fire is burning on either side of the road.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Blueberry River First Nation has issued an evacuation order due to the Stoddart Creek fire. The order was issued late Sunday, and members of the First Nation should head to the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John. From there, emergency support services will provide support to the evacuees. The Blueberry River First Nation joins the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) in issuing an evacuation order. The PRRD also issued an evacuation alert due to the fire. The Stoddart Creek fire started Saturday and grew to over 3,000 hectares. The fire started near Mile 70 of the Alaska Highway and grew moved closer to Blueberry River First Nation on Sunday. The B.C. Wildfire service will secure structures in the community and set up a sprinkler system. The First Nation is also asking anyone in the community to remove debris such as lawn chairs, tables, tents etc. 

With a heatwave continuing to scorch most of B.C. more wildfires continue to pop up in the province with one of the latest just west of Whistler. Discovered on Saturday, the Shovelnose Creek wildfire is listed as out of control and burning at roughly 17 hectares in size, according to the BC Wildfire Service. The fire is located approximately 20 kilometres down the Squamish Valley Forest Service Road. Julia Caranci, a fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, says the fire’s location in steep and very rugged terrain is posing a challenge for crews. “Fifteen firefighters and two helicopters are working on that fire today and will continue to work on it throughout the day,” she said. “No critical infrastructure or homes are currently at risk. …we ask the public to use caution if travelling through those or any areas where there may be active wildfires burning.”

Northeastern B.C. continues to see large wildfires burn out of control, as unusually hot weather challenges firefighters. Dozens of people remained out of their homes Sunday in areas around Fort St. John, B.C., due to evacuation orders and alerts associated with the Red Creek fire, which has now been burning for more than a week. A newly discovered blaze named the Stoddart Creek fire, just north of Red Creek, has prompted a door-to-door evacuation operation due to the safety risks associated with that fire, while other properties are on an evacuation alert. The Stoddart Creek wildfire was discovered around 3 p.m. PT Saturday, and is burning over an area of 12.3 square kilometres. The Peace River Regional District says 136 homes have been placed on evacuation order as of Sunday afternoon. …”It’s May and so it feels early, but we’re seeing July conditions out there,” said Hannah Swift, a fire information officer.

Nearly 20,000 Albertans have been evacuated from their homes as wildfires continue to rage across the province with hot, dry conditions in the forecast for the foreseeable future. Provincial officials said the total number of evacuees has risen to 19,342 Sunday, up from 16,520 the Saturday. The additional 2,800 evacuees came from three new areas now under evacuation order, including Rainbow Lake, parts of Leduc County and Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. “We are all doing all we can to protect communities at risk, but Albertans need to remain vigilant and closely follow updates on their current wildfire situation,” said Alberta Emergency Management Agency executive director Colin Blair. Hot, dry conditions have led to what officials are calling an “unprecedented” early fire season in Alberta. Alberta remains under a state of emergency with 19 additional states of local emergency, five band council resolutions and 14 evacuation orders in place Sunday, up from 10 on Saturday.

Additional coverage in the Globe and Mail (for subscribers only): Thousands more evacuated in Northern Alberta as wildfires rage

It’s been two weeks since out-of-control wildfires began forcing evacuation orders in parts of Alberta and the situation remains critical “The wildfire situation is extremely volatile,” said Colin Blair with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency on Sunday afternoon. “Our crews have had the opportunity to build fire guards and… for the vast majority, those are holding,” said Josee St-Onge with Alberta Wildfire. …So far this year, there have been 451 wildfires in Alberta, burning 521,000 hectares. …There are 1,500 Alberta wildland firefighters battling the various blazes and 800 people from other agencies across North America helping in the fight, including 200 wildland firefighters from the U.S. and 300 members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The fire danger was considered extreme again Sunday, St-Onge said, adding that the peak risk is still ahead. “The heat event that we’re seeing in the province is starting to impact the south as well …and wildfire danger is rising.”

N.W.T. Fire says an out-of-control wildfire burning by Kátł’odeeche First Nation has “very likely” breached the community and damaged structures, and may have spread to Vale Island in Hay River. The entire population of both communities — more than 3,500 people — have been ordered to leave for Yellowknife, a five-hour drive away. In an update at about 12:30 a.m. Monday morning, wildfire information officer Mike Westwick said his department does not have a current assessment but believes the fire has breached Kátł’odeeche First Nation. He said there is a “very, very high” likelihood of damage.

Approximately 300 soldiers with the Canadian Armed Forces based in Edmonton are being deployed this week to help in Alberta’s wildfire efforts, the province announced Thursday. Members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and 1 Combat Engineer Regiment are being deployed to Grande Prairie, Fox Creek and Drayton Valley and will provide support to aid in mop-up operations and basic firefighting duties under the supervision of Alberta Wildfire. Four helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft will help with assessments of the fire situation and the transportation of troops and equipment. “Airlift resources for increased mobility and logistical responsibilities, such as evacuating isolated communities, will also be provided,” the province said. …Troops are not being used in a law enforcement or policing capacity.

Indigenous Services Canada says a wildfire has destroyed 45 structures on Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, including its elder centre and homes It says 16-hundred people were forced to leave the community about 360 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. Power infrastructure was also destroyed. Sturgeon Lake is one of nine First Nations in Alberta threatened by wildfire. …There are still 88 active wildfires in the province and 12 evacuation orders in place. But the number of people forced out of their homes has dropped to 24-thousand, compared to 29-thousand yesterday. Christie Tucker from Alberta Wildfire says the situation in central and southern Alberta has improved with crews able to bring in heavy equipment to construct firebreaks.

Alberta will provide one-time emergency payments to anyone evacuated from their home because of wildfires for seven days or longer, Premier Danielle Smith said Monday. Each eligible adult will receive $1,250; an additional payment of $500 will be made for each dependent child under 18. …”These payments will help evacuees pay for accommodations, food and other basic necessities. The payments will make those expenses one less thing for people to worry about so that they can concentrate on their families and their own well-being.” …Earlier Monday, a spokesperson for Smith said she has requested military support and other federal government assistance as the province battles widespread wildfires. …In Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters that the federal government has reached out to the Red Cross to set up a matching fund to assist those in Alberta impacted by wildfires. He didn’t provide specifics about support the federal government could offer.

Additional coverage in CTV News Edmonton, by Diego Romero: Financial, military help coming for Alberta wildfire evacuees 

Edmonton Journal, by Anna Junker: Premier Smith announces one-time, $1,250 payments for eligible evacuees

Albertans fleeing wildfires are beginning to show up in B.C., according to the mayor of Valemount. Mayor Owen Torgerson told Castanet the visitors began arriving in his community on Saturday morning. Valemount is the first significant stopping point for anyone travelling from Northern Alberta into B.C.’s Interior. “I’m not entirely sure of the evacuation orders for those communities, but certainly we are seeing them,” he said, noting some are staying the night and others are just passing through. “My understanding is some of them have properties in the Shuswap area, but again, that’s just from talking to folks.” Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Saturday more than 24,000 Albertans have been ordered to leave their homes due to wildfire.

EDMONTON — Cooler temperatures and a bit of rain were delivering some relief for firefighters as they continued to battle wildfires that threaten communities in northern Alberta, but provincial officials warned the reprieve was only in some areas and lightning is sparking some new blazes. “People have called this season certainly unprecedented in recent memory because we have so many fires so spread out,” Christie Tucker with Alberta Wildfire told a media briefing Sunday afternoon. “It’s been an unusual year.” The province said Sunday there were 108 active fires and the number of evacuees grew to about 29,000, up from approximately 24,000 the day before. Tucker said 31 of the 108 fires are classified as out-of-control, and while weather conditions were improving somewhat in southern and central areas, including some showers as far north as Fox Creek, areas further north weren’t as lucky.

Amid a provincial state of emergency, firefighters in Alberta received cooler and humid weather that will help them battle dozens of out-of-control wildfires as nearly 30,000 residents have fled their homes, officials say. …As of 5 p.m. Sunday, Alberta Wildfire reported 109 active wildfires in the province, including 28 out-of-control blazes. …Alberta Wildfire saw “extreme wildfire behaviour” Saturday amid hot, dry and windy conditions, but spokeswoman Christie Tucker told media firefighters can expect a bit of a reprieve in the days ahead. “Today we’ve seen some light, scattered showers in the southern part of the province, as far north as Fox Creek. The good news is that it did have an impact on fire behaviour today in that area,” she said at a Sunday news conference. “It allows firefighters to get a chance to work on the areas of some wildfires that they haven’t been able to get close to because of extreme wildfire behaviour.”

Dozens of new wildfires were discovered across Alberta amid high temperatures, dangerously dry conditions and high winds on Thursday. There were many Alberta Emergency Alerts issued and updated throughout the day as the fires grew and threatened more properties. …As of 8 p.m there were 75 fires, with 19 being out of control. Three of those fires were carried over from previous years. …The province said 25 were caused by humans, five by lightning and the rest were still under investigation. …Thursday evening, the community of Entwistle in Parkland County was told to get out once again. Just across the Pembina River in Yellowhead County, people from Evansburg, Wildwood, Lobstick and Hansonville were also told to flee again on Thursday night. South of Entwistle in the Alberta foothills… there were several new forest fires to the southwest and northwest of the Brazeau Dam.

The town of Drayton Valley and surrounding areas of Brazeau County were ordered to evacuate late Thursday night as a wildfire in the area grew and threatened the central Alberta community. The out-of-control wildfire is burning southeast of Drayton Valley. The town is home to around 7,000 people, according to census data. …All residents in the area of Township Road 484 north to Township Road 494, and North Saskatchewan River west to Range Road 80 were told to leave immediately when the evacuation order was issued. The order included the entire town of Drayton Valley. …Heavy fire activity was expected south of Highway 22 on the hill overlooking the North Saskatchewan River. …As of Thursday evening, the wildfire was approximately 340 hectares in size, up from 140 in the morning. Drayton Valley/Brazeau County fire crews and equipment were working to get the fire under control again and people were being asked to stay away from the area.

A First Nation in northern Alberta was evacuated starting Wednesday night as it was threatened by a wildfire burning out of control nearly 800 kilometers north of Edmonton. The fire, located near Fox Lake, was nearly 4,400 hectares in size as of Thursday, according to Alberta Wildfire. The evacuation efforts were slow as the only way in and out of Little Red River Cree Nation is a small barge. A line of 600 people was waiting to cross the Peace River at its busiest moment, according to Chief Conroy Sewepagaham. Around 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Sewepagaham said the barge was close to being burned and said all workers helping to evacuate residents needed to leave. An hour later, he posted a plea to social media for those with boats to cross the river and help bring about 100 remaining residents to safety. Sewepagaham said a “skeleton crew” was working to rescue the remaining residents.

A prescribed burn near Banff, Alta., on Wednesday afternoon crossed over from the intended area to the east side of Banff Avenue — prompting people and animals to be evacuated from nearby areas. Parks Canada reported late Wednesday afternoon that the fire in Banff National Park was “out of control” but in an update around 10:30 p.m. said that the situation had improved. “The fire is now classified as ‘Being Held’ thanks to helicopter bucketing, fire personnel, and assisting agencies,” wrote Parks Canada on Twitter. “Evening precipitation has further assisted with suppression and given current weather conditions and resources, the fire is not anticipated to grow beyond expected boundaries.” …The prescribed burn began earlier on Wednesday and was planned for 300 hectares on either side of the Trans Canada Highway. 

…Spring wildfires have already produced evacuation alerts and orders in several communities in Alberta and British Columbia. Dry conditions last fall and warming temperatures, especially in Alberta, have launched an early fire season in both provinces. Two major Alberta wildfires – one 330 hectares in size outside Entwistle and the other 3,000 hectares in size outside of Evansburg – have been burning since Saturday. Albertans southeast of Barrhead were told to evacuate Sunday, while others three kilometres north were asked to be ready to leave. …While no evacuation orders have been announced further west in British Columbia, two wildfires in its Interior have led to three evacuation alerts. Erika Berg, provincial wildfire information officer with the BC Wildfire Service, said the wildfires in the province are typical spring fires. “I wouldn’t say it comes as a surprise for us. It has been a dry fall, which has bled into the spring here,” Ms. Berg said.

A fire advisory remains in effect for the Edson Forest Area as a wildfire continues to grow. Alberta Wildfire, Yellowhead County and Parkland County are responding to multiple wildfires in the area.  A series of emergency alerts have been issued in Alberta and the fire is moving west-northwest in the province. A wildfire was first detected on the evening of April 29 and is located on both sides of Highway 22, 3 km north of Highway 16. There is another wildfire on the east side of Hwy 22, and was located on the west side of Hwy 22, they are now combined. The wildfire is burning out of control and currently moving towards the west-northwest. The wildfire was re-assessed and is now estimated to be 2,221 ha in size. Strong winds and very dry fuel are the main factors that this wildfire is spreading so quickly. The fire is burning in a mixture of grass, shrub, trees and marsh.

Spring has barely begun in B.C., and wildfires are already seemingly an issue in some parts of the province. The BC Wildfire Service says its crews have already doused a dozen fires in the southern Interior, with the latest happening Wednesday near Merritt. CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss says that despite the date on the calendar, he’s not surprised blazes are popping up. “The forest is still relatively dormant. The moisture is not there in the coniferous trees, and of course, the deciduous trees are bare. The grass is dry where the snow has already melted,” he explained. Wednesday’s fire grew up to seven hectares before being knocked down by firefighters, according to the BC Wildfire Service. …But Kuss notes to see fires this early in the year isn’t necessarily an indication of the fire activity we’ll see come summer.