Edson Forest Area - June 03, 2025 - 7:00 pm

Wildfire situation

Since January 1, there have been 40 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 1,085 hectares (ha). View active wildfires, their locations and statistics on the interactive map on our wildfire status page. 

Join FCSS and Alberta Wildfire

Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and Alberta Wildfire will be available at the Robb Multiplex on Wednesday June 4 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Join us for information on available support, wildfire information and FireSmart. 

Evacuation orders and highway closures

Visit Alberta Emergency Alert or download the app for information on current evacuation orders or alerts. You can also find information on wildfire preparedness on our website. For highway closures, visit Alberta 511. 

Message from Yellowhead County

• You may see fire hoses, sprinklers, and other firefighting equipment being removed or relocated in the coming days. Crews are continuing active suppression efforts in the area, and equipment will be repositioned based on operational needs. Please do not move any firefighting equipment—crews will handle this safely.
• Call our Emergency Coordination Centre at 1-833-334-4630 for specific questions.
• Visit the the re-entry guide at yhcounty.ca for more information.

Yellowhead Wildfire Complex | EWF030, EWF036

January Creek Wildfire - EWF036

EWF036 is located on the south side of Peers. The size is now estimated to be 738 ha and remains classified as out of control which means that the wildfire has the potential to grow. A status change will not occur until firefighters are confident the risk of further growth has been addressed. The cause remains under investigation.

Alberta Wildfire firefighters, heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers, alongside Yellowhead County Fire Department, continue responding to this wildfire.

Today, low to moderate fire behaviour was observed again. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity kept the vegetation from drying quickly. The anticipated increase in temperature and strong winds will dry vegetation quickly this week, firefighters will be on scene and ready to respond if an increase in fire behaviour does occur. Significant smoke may be visible from within the fire perimeter. 

Firefighters and aircraft will continue searching for and extinguishing hot spots, which could take days or even weeks. 

The perimeter of a wildfire needs to be contained before firefighters start extinguishing the interior. Containment lines are often built with heavy equipment, like bulldozers and excavators. Once the perimeter is contained, firefighters start working on hot spots in the interior, focusing on an area of about 100 metres from the edge. Once that work is complete, firefighters move further into the interior and continue to extinguish hot spots until there is no more heat.

Firefighters are supported by helicopters with water buckets as they dig and extinguish hot spots (June 3, 2025).

Mercoal Creek Wildfire - EWF030  

EWF030 is located 6 km west of Mercoal and 16 km southwest of Robb. The wildfire remains classified as out of control and estimated to be 320 ha in size. This wildfire was caused by lightning. 

Cool temperatures, higher relative humidity and some precipitation kept the fire activity low on this wildfire today. Firefighters anticipate that low to moderate fire behaviour will be observed tomorrow but anticipate an increase in the coming days as temperatures increase and humidity decreases. 

Firefighters continue extinguishing hot spots, which involves digging deep into the ground and dousing the smouldering fire with water. They'll continue this work until the hot spots are extinguished. 

EWF038 near Cynthia

EWF038 is located 12 km northeast of Cynthia, 10 km east of highway 753. It is 7 km north of highway 621 on the northeast corner of Sink Hole Lake. The wildfire is now estimated to be 10 ha and now classified as under control which means that the wildfire has received sufficient suppression action to ensure no further spread. Firefighters will return tomorrow and continue searching for and extinguishing hotspots. 

Safety near burnt areas

We urge residents and members of the public to use extra caution near burnt areas. There are many hazards that may not be visible, like deep burning ash pits and falling trees. Burnt trees are a serious hazard, and trees that may look healthy that have green needles or leaves could have burnt out roots under the ground and fall unexpectedly. Keep in mind that trees and powerlines could also fall on the road and block your vehicle. Do not approach powerlines as they could be energized.

Illegal use of drones near wildfires

Flying a drone near or over a wildfire endangers our pilots and forces us to ground aircraft, causing delays in firefighting operations. You could face a hefty fine for putting aircraft and people at risk. Please give our firefighters the space they need to do their jobs safely. 

Increasing wildfire danger

The Edson Forest Area anticipates an increase in fire danger as temperatures rise and relative humidity reduces. Firefighters and aircraft are pre-positioned across the forest area, ready to respond to any new wildfire starts. The area also has 10 lookout observers stationed and ready to report now smoke. 

Huckleberry tower is one of the 10 lookouts in our forest area (June 2, 2025)

Contact info

Caroline Charbonneau
780-740-1341
[email protected]