Edson Forest Area - May 30, 2025

Wildfire situation

Since January 1, there have been 37 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 525 hectares (ha). View active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our wildfire status page. 

EWF036 near Peers

EWF036 is located less then 1 km southeast of Peers on the east and west side of highway 32. The wildfire is now estimated to be 285 ha in size. The wildfire remains classified as out of control and under investigation.

Alberta Wildfire firefighters, heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers alongside Yellowhead County Fire Department responded to this wildfire. Firefighters worked late into the evening and heavy helicopters equipped with night vision equipment tanked water through the night. 

The wildfire is now fully contained thanks to the hard work of heavy equipment operators who worked through the entire night building containment lines. 

Today, crews will be searching for and extinguishing hotspots with the help of water trucks. These hotspots can often burn deep into the ground and require to be dug out and doused with water.

The forecast calls for a high of 24C and 20% relative humidity creating crossover conditions. This occurs when the temperature is greater then the relative humidity, making perfect conditions for a wildfire to spread. The winds are anticipated to come from the southwest 15-20 gusting to 40 km/h, any wildfire activity would probably move towards the northeast. Firefighters would expect fire behavior to increase near noon as the temperatures climb and the humidity decreases.

Yellowhead County has issued an evacuation order for Peers and surrounding area. Visit the Alberta Emergency Alert or download the app for information or visit their social media page - Yellowhead County Facebook. 

For highway closures, visit Alberta 511 for further information.

Very little wildfire behavior is seen on EWF036 this morning. Firefighters anticipate an increase as the temperatures climb later today (May 30, 2025 at 8:00 a.m.)

Mercoal Creek Wildfire (EWF030)

EWF030 is located 6 km west of Mercoal and 16 km southwest of Robb. The wildfire is now classified as being held and estimated to be 224 ha. This wildfire was caused by lightning.

Firefighters will continue working to contain the wildfire with the assistance of water trucks. They're searching for and extinguishing hotspots which often involves digging deep into the ground and dousing the smoldering fire with water.

Yellowhead County has indicated that there is no evacuation order for the community of Robb or Mercoal at this time; however, having a plan and being prepared is always a good idea. More information can be found on the preparedness website. 

Lightning-caused wildfires 

Lightning-caused wildfires are a common natural occurrence in Alberta, making up approximately 30% of the wildfires that occur each year. 

Lightning-caused wildfires can be deceptively delayed, sometimes taking days to become visible after the initial strike. When lightning hits a tree or dry vegetation, it can ignite a slow-burning fire deep within organic layers of soil or in the core of a tree, where it smolders quietly without producing visible flames or smoke. These "holdover fires" can persist unnoticed, insulated by damp soil or dense vegetation, until weather conditions change—such as drier air or stronger winds—allowing the fire to surface and spread rapidly. This delayed ignition makes detection and response particularly challenging, increasing the risk of the fire growing out of control before it's even discovered.

The Edson Forest Area has firefighters and equipment ready to respond for the anticipated increase in fire danger and thunderstorms in the forecast. Call 310-FIRE if you see smoke or flames and suspect it's a wildfire. Learn more about how to report a wildfire.

Contact info

Caroline Charbonneau
780-740-1341
[email protected]

Terry Abual-Soud
780-728-2397
[email protected]