Edson Forest Area - May 30, 2025 - 9:45 pm

Wildfire situation

Since January 1, there have been 39 wildfires in the Edson Forest Area burning a total of 1,832 hectares (ha). View active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our wildfire status page. 

Yellowhead County evacuation orders

Yellowhead County has issued several evacuation alerts and orders. Visit Alberta Emergency Alert or download the app for further information and instructions. You can also find more on their preparedness website.  For highway closures, visit Alberta 511 for further information.

EWF038 near Cynthia

EWF038 is located 12 km northeast of Cynthia, 10 km east of highway 753, 7 km north of highway 621 on the northeast corner of Sink Hole Lake. The wildfire is now estimated to be 16 ha and classified as out of control. 

Alberta Wildfire firefighters, helicopters and airtankers are responding. Heavy equipment has been dispatched to the incident. 

EWF036 near Peers

EWF036 is located 0.5 km south of the Peers transfer station and 1.5 km to the railroad south of Peers. The wildfire started on the west side of highway 32 and crossed over onto the east side on May 29. The wildfire is now estimated to be 1,400 ha in size and anticipate to grow again tomorrow. The wildfire remains classified as out of control and under investigation.

Alberta Wildfire firefighters, heavy equipment, helicopters and airtankers alongside Yellowhead County Fire Department continue responding to this wildfire. Firefighters will work late into the evening with helicopters. Heavy equipment will continue building containment line surrounding the new perimeter of where the fire escaped. Containment lines are built to prevent the wildfire from spreading however under windy conditions, the fire can spot across the line.

Crossover conditions are not expected tomorrow which will help keep fire behavior down, however winds gusting to 40 km/h could move the wildfire again tomorrow. 

EWF036 experienced variable winds today and the wildfire grew significantly (May 30, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.).

Mercoal Creek Wildfire (EWF030)

EWF030 is located 6 km west of Mercoal and 16 km southwest of Robb. The wildfire has escaped the perimeter and is now classified as out of control and estimated to be 400 ha and growing. This wildfire was caused by lightning. 

Due to hot temperatures and windy conditions, the wildfire has become active and grew today. Smoke is visible. Firefighters 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.

EWF030 grew significantly today (May 30, 2025 at 8:00 p.m.).

Lightning-caused wildfires 

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

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]