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Wildfire update

Slave Lake Forest Area - April 16, 2025

Report a wildfire: 
310-FIRE (3473)

Alberta Wildfire application:

High wildfire danger

The wildfire danger in the Slave Lake Forest Area continues to be high due to warm temperatures and strong gusty winds. Areas of dry grass are flammable, and under windy conditions, fires will spread rapidly.

Firefighters urge everyone to use caution and report wildfires immediately by calling 310-FIRE(3473). Fire lookouts are watching for smoke and firefighters with aircraft are ready to respond to any new wildfires that may start.

Fire permit holders must postpone burning as the strong winds expected will exceed the safe conditions outlined on the fire permit.

Weather

For Wednesday April 16, the temperature will be 8-10 degrees Celsius, relative humidity 25 percent. Strong north westerly winds are expected at 35-40kilometres per hour, with gusts reaching up to 70kilometres per hour.

grass Dry grass fuels pose a significant wildfire risk in the spring. 

Wildfire Situation

Since January 1, 2025, 16 wildfires have been reported in the Slave Lake Forest Area, resulting in a total burned area of 26.98 hectares.

Most wildfires were human caused, with the majority originating from winter burning projects. If you conducted a winter burn, return to the site and ensure the fires are completely extinguished.

Three new wildfires were detected last night. Local fire departments and wildland firefighters responded to these fires.

  • SWF014 is currently UNDER CONTROL and 0.5 hectares in size.
  • SWF015 is currently UNDER CONTROL and 0.5 hectares in size.
  • SWF016 is currently UNDER CONTROL and 0.9 hectares in size. 

One new wildfire was detected today. SWF017 is currently UNDER CONTROL and 1 hectare in size. Four wildland firefighters and local fire department are assisting with the fire today.

Alberta Wildfire is assisting with the Buffalo Bay Fire (SCU001). 12 firefighters and a helicopter are on the fire today. For more updates, please see Big Lakes County webpage

As of April 16 at 2:30 PM, High Prairie RCMP have temporarily closed Highway 750 from Township Road 752A to just north of the bridge to allow emergency services to respond to the Buffalo Bay Wildfire. For more information on road closers please visit 511 Alberta.

To view information about wildfires, their locations and statistics visit the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

Firefighters burning 

Over the next several weeks, firefighters will be burning areas of dead dry grass around communities in the Slave Lake Forest Area. Burning is an efficient way to remove this extremely flammable fire fuel. Trained firefighters conduct these burns under specific weather conditions to ensure the fires are controlled and to minimize the impact of smoke to roadways and communities.

If you have any questions about these grass burns contact Wildfire Information Officer Dan Troke 780-843-5772

Fire permits required

Alberta’s wildfire season began on March 1st. This means that fire permits are required for burning within the Forest Protection Area, excluding campfires.

Fire permits are free and can be requested online. You may also request your fire permit by calling your local Forestry Office. All existing fire permits remain valid. New permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis due to the existing fire advisory. 

  • Slave Lake 780-849-7377
  • High Prairie 780-523-6619
  • Wabasca 780-891-3860

Fire permits help us track what is burning on the landscape. If you are burning without a fire permit or not following conditions on your fire permit, your fire could be considered a wildfire and you could be fined and may be responsible for the costs of fighting the wildfire.

Prevent wildfires

Human caused wildfires are preventable. Please do your part and follow these tips to help prevent wildfires:

  • Check your winter burns – Fires started during the winter can smolder underground and reignite in the spring if not fully extinguished. Always ensure your winter burns are completely out.
  • Get a fire permit before burning – A fire permit is required for any type of burning in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Contact your local Forestry office by calling 310-0000 or apply online for a free permit.
  • Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) – Stop frequently to remove debris from hot spots on your vehicle. Always carry firefighting tools such as a shovel, pail, and extinguisher.
  • Don’t park in tall grass – The heat from your vehicle’s muffler can ignite dry grass. Always park on bare ground or gravel.
  • Use equipment safely – Operate spark-producing equipment away from dry grass and always have a shovel and water source on hand.
  • Farming equipment – Clean debris from hot spots regularly and keep firefighting tools like a shovel, pail, and extinguisher nearby.

 

 

Fire advisory

Based on current and forecasted weather, windy conditions and a dry grass hazard, a fire advisory is in place for the Forest Protection Area of the Slave Lake Forest Area as of April 15, 2025. All existing fire permits remain valid. New permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis. Fireworks and exploding targets are prohibited.
 

We encourage any landowners who have done burning over the winter and that have had past fire permits to revisit the burn location to ensure these fires are fully extinguished.
 

Big Lakes County Permit Area is currently under a fire advisory as of April 16, 2025. For up-to-date information on fire bans across Alberta, please visit: https://albertafirebans.ca

Contact info

Dan Troke
7808435772
[email protected]

Published on April 16, 2025 2:59 pm