Alberta wildfire season begins April 1
Feature story posted on April 1, 2008
April 1 marks the beginning of the fire season in Alberta. During fire season Albertans are required to obtain a fire permit before conducting any burning activity (excluding lighting a campfire) within the province’s Forest Protection Area (see map). Permits are free and available at any Alberta Sustainable Resource Development office.
Alberta has 128 lookout observers in place to spot, locate and report smoke in the Forest Protection Area. Each observer is responsible for a 40-kilometre radius of forest – just over 5,000 square kilometres – and is expected to report wildfires within five minutes of detection.
In 2008, Alberta will have about 300 full-time seasonal firefighters available, plus access to another 1,300 contract and emergency firefighters. If wildfire conditions across the province exceed the capabilities of the province’s available resources, mutual aid agreements can be used to gain access to additional firefighters and equipment from across Canada, Alaska, the northwest United States, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico.
Last season, Alberta saw nearly 1,300 wildfires burn more than 103,000 hectares of forest – an area nearly twice the size of Edmonton.
Notable wildfires included the Old Fort Wildfire near Fort Chipewyan, which burned 63,000 hectares, and the Mackay River Wildfire near Fort McMurray that consumed 16,000 hectares.
Last season also saw the longest forest closure in Alberta history, as a result of a record-breaking dry spell in southwest portions of the province. Fire bans and closures, which were in place from July to September, were successful in preventing any major wildfires in the region, thanks to the cooperation and support of local municipalities and their residents.
To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE. For more information about wildfires in Alberta, visit www.srd.alberta.ca/wildfires.
