Due to dry conditions and high to extreme wildfire hazard, a fire ban is now in place for forested lands in Alberta, from Waterton Lakes National Park to north of Manning and east to north of Fort McMurray. The fire ban is effective immediately and until further notice.
“The wildfire situation in most of Alberta is serious,” said Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Minister Diana McQueen.
“Unfortunately, most of the wildfires we are fighting right now appear to be human-caused and therefore were 100 per cent preventable. It is very important that everyone take precautions to avoid starting fires - it is so dry and windy in many places that fires can start and spread very quickly.”
The fire ban prohibits the lighting of outdoor fires, fireworks and the use of portable campfires. In addition, all outdoor fires currently burning, whether set under the authority of a fire permit or not, must be extinguished. All fire permits issued under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act are suspended in the ban area.
The fire bans do not apply to lands within cities, towns or villages or federal lands where there are no fire control agreements. Many municipalities already have fire bans or prevention notices in their jurisdictions.
Current fire ban information is available at Alberta Fire Bans.
The ban does not affect fires contained within:
• a cooking or heating appliance, other than portable campfires, which are fuelled by fluids or compressed gas;
• an engineered fire receptacle in designated camping and recreation areas;
• walled tents with air tight stoves with proper screening as approved by a forest officer, and
• industrial facilities or on industrial sites as approved by a forest officer.
Off-highway vehicle users can reduce the risk of wildfires by removing burnable debris from hot spots such as the engine and exhaust on their machines. All off-highway vehicles in Alberta are required to have a functional muffler and spark arrestor.
People who violate the ban can be charged under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act and could face a fine of up to $5,000. In addition, the responsible party can be held accountable for the costs associated with fighting a resulting fire, with no maximum limit.
The fire hazard will be monitored on a daily basis, and the ban will be removed or adjusted once conditions allow.
Since the beginning of April, firefighters with Environment and Sustainable Resource Development have responded to more than 270 wildfires.
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