Government mail service may be affected by the Canada Post labour disruption. Learn about how critical government mail will be handled.
Moderate wildfire danger
Recent rainfall and cooler temperatures have dropped the wildfire danger across the Whitecourt Forest Area to moderate. Please remember that although the weather has changed, a fire restriction is still in effect as warmer and dry conditions are expected to increase throughout the week.
If you see smoke or flame in the forest and suspect it's a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
Wildfire situation
Since January 1, 2025 there have been 15 wildfires in the Whitecourt Forest Area burning a total of 12.28 hectares (ha). Learn more about wildfire status and view active wildfires, their locations and stats on the interactive map on our wildfire status page.
Spring conditions
Spring is a critical time for wildfires as the snow melts and exposes dry and dead vegetation. As we experience warmer temperatures into the week, the grass and other vegetation continues to dry out. As a result, fuels are more susceptible to ignition and wildfires can spread more quickly should one occur.
This week, temperatures are expected to return to near seasonal with humidity decreasing as windy conditions persist. In these conditions, dryness of fuels can result in wildfires growing quickly, especially in windy conditions. We have not had significant rainfall in the area to give any reprieve for the dry vegetation across the landscape.
Please use caution while recreating or working in the Whitecourt Forest Area. It is important that everyone do their part to prevent unnecessary human-caused fires.
Prevent wildfires
Spring wildfires are almost always human-caused. Please do your part and follow these tips to help prevent wildfires:
- To ensure you are being safe while operating an off-highway vehicle (OHV) you should stop frequently to remove debris from hot spots on your vehicle. Always carry firefighting tools such as a shovel, pail and extinguisher.
- Before towing any piece of equipment such as a trailer, always ensure your safety chains are not dragging on the pavement. Dragging chains can cause sparks.
- Avoid parking in areas of tall grass as the heat from your vehicle’s muffler can ignite dry grass.
- Use industrial equipment safely, if you plan on using any spark producing machines like welding or grinding you should always work away from dry grass and have a shovel and water source on hand.
- Farming equipment can be high risk in current conditions but by cleaning out debris from hot spots and regularly maintaining equipment it will decrease the risk of starting a wildfire.
Find wildfire information
We've updated the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard. This interactive map and display provide wildfire locations, statistics and more in one convenient location. The AB Wildfire Status app remains the best option to view wildfire information on a mobile device.
Fire restriction
A fire restriction is in effect for the Whitecourt Forest Area. Under this restriction, all outdoor wood fires are banned on public lands.
Prohibited:
- Outdoor wood fires on public lands including backcountry and random camping areas
- Any burning, other than a campfire on private land
- Fireworks and exploding targets
Allowed:
- Safe wood campfires on private land including provincial campgrounds with a designated fire ring
- Backyard firepits
- Propane fire pits and natural gas-powered appliances
- Barbecue charcoal briquettes
- Indoor wood fires
- Open flame oil devices
The fire restriction will remain in effect until conditions improve or further escalation is required. For more information visit Alberta Fire Bans.
Contact info
Provincial Information Officer
780-420-1968
[email protected]
Published on May 4, 2025 5:18 pm