Temporary Summer Firefighter Position

A FIRE BAN IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COUNTY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE AS OF 1300 HRS ON MAY 8 2024

WEBSITE UPDATED 5/8/2024

PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF BYLAW #3122 OF THE COUNTY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE NO.1: A Fire Ban Order for the County of Grande Prairie No. has been issued.

THIS ORDER WILL:

Suspend all fire permits currently issued

•Require all outdoor fires presently burning whether set under the authority of a Fire Permit or not, extinguished.

•Prohibit the lighting of all outdoor fires (i.e.) recreational fire pits, fires using charcoal briquettes

•Prohibit the lighting of burning barrels

•Prohibit wood fires in engineered facilities in campgrounds

•Prohibit the lighting and display of fireworks or the use of exploding targets

•Prohibit the lighting of any fires in County operated parks and campgrounds

Any existing permits in the County of Grande Prairie No.1 are now void and no new fire permits will be issued. All fires currently burning must be extinguished immediately.

Under Bylaw #3122, all fires are banned in the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 until further notice. Examples of banned fire products and practices include charcoal briquettes, open outdoor fires, open pit burning, cooking fires, burning refuse, brush piles and stubble.

INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY

Flaring The following outlines the application of the County fire ban on oilfield flaring.

NO open pit flaring.

Fires contained in industrial facilities or on industrial sites approved by a forest officer or fire guardian.

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions change. Read more about the current fire ban status at www.countygp.ab.ca/fireban. View all current fire restrictions and bans in place across the province at www.albertafirebans.ca.

Details and any updates will be available at www.countygp.ab.ca/fireban. View all current fire advisories, restrictions and bans in place across the province at www.albertafirebans.ca.

For safe burning practices, visit www.countygp.ab.ca/fire or contact Regional Fire Service at 780-532-9727.

Examples:

Fire Restriction: A fire restriction prohibits the use of wood campfires on public land but does allow wood campfires inside provincial campgrounds and private property. Fire permits may be restricted, suspended, or cancelled and no new fire permits will be issued.

Fire Ban: A fire ban prohibits wood campfires on public land, campgrounds, and private land including backyard fire pits. Fire permits will be suspended or cancelled, and no new permits will be issued.

If you are unsure how this restriction may affect you, contact the County of Grande Prairie No. 1 Fire Protection Office at 780-532-9727.

View all current fire restrictions and bans in place across the province at www.albertafirebans.ca. Subscribe to be notified of alerts in your area.

Visit Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to find more information about campfires, wildfires, burning and protection of our provincial forests.

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Grande Prairie Forest Area Wildfire Update - May 15, 2024 - 3:30 pm

Posted on Wed, May 15, 2024

The wildfire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area is VERY HIGH. Isolated showers have moved through the area, however the amount of rain is not significant enough to reduce the wildfire danger. The fire ban remains in effect for the Grande Prairie Forest Area.

Alberta Wildfire continues to assist the County of Grande Prairie with a mutual aid fire that started four km east of the town of Teepee Creek. The Kleskun Creek Fire (GCU 007) is 1,382 hectares and is now being held.

Today, firefighters report that no smoke is currently visible and there are minimal hotspots on the wildfire. Wildfire crews continued to secure the perimeter with pump, hose and hand tools to reinforce the guard.

(GCU007 May14, 2024)

Wildfire information

Since January 1, 2024, 31 wildfires have been reported in the Grande Prairie Forest Area burning nearly 182.30 hectares.

GWF031 was detected in O'Brian Provincial Park. This wildfire is being held at 0.01 hectares. Firefighters are working to extinguish it.

GWF030 was detected 40 kilometers south of Grande Prairie. This wildfire is now listed as under control at 0.25 hectares. Firefighters will continue to monitor this wildfire.

GWF029 This wildfire started 13 km northwest of the town of Valhalla. This wildfire is now listed as being held at 100 hectares. Firefighters continue to extinguish hotspots within the perimeter of the fire.

Prevent wildfires

Grasses and other fine fuels can ignite quickly under windy conditions. If you are operating an off-highway vehicle (OHV) use caution, clear your hot spots, and carry a collapsible bucket and shovel. Sparks from rocks hitting heavy machinery, dragging chains and welding operations are all high-risk activities.

Do not operate equipment in tall grass and keep watch of your surroundings and ensure you have sufficient firefighting equipment and water available.

Industry is reminded that build-up of carbon within the flare stacks result in hot embers being released into surrounding dry grass. Inspect and maintain the ignition devices to ensure operation is within appropriate parameters.

It is your responsibility to know what the current restrictions are for the area that you plan to visit. You can be held liable for the cost of suppression and damages of a wildfire that you cause.

2023 carryover wildfires

There are currently three carryover fires from the 2023 wildfire season. All carryover wildfires are listed as under control and are being monitored by firefighters.

Smoke from British Columbia wildfires are impacting much of the provincial air operations today. To see forecasted smoke, you can visit FireSmoke.ca.

A fire ban is in place for the Grande Prairie Forest Area due to dry conditions and expected weather.

Under this ban:

• All existing fire permits are suspended (or cancelled)

• No new fire permits will be issued

Prohibited:

• All outdoor wood fires are banned, including wood campfires on public lands, wood campfires on private land and provincial campgrounds

• Backyard firepits

• BBQ charcoal briquettes

• The use of fireworks and exploding targets

Allowed:

• Propane/natural gas-powered appliances

• Open flame oil devices (e.g., turkey deep fryers, tiki torches)

• Indoor wood fires contained within a device with a chimney and spark arrestor

• All appliances must be CSA approved and used per manufacturer’s standards

If you see a wildfire, report it immediately by calling 310-FIRE.

The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions improve.

For more information: Fire Restriction Fact Sheet

MO-015 Fire Restriction (revised boundary) and MO-016 Fire Ban map

Drones are not allowed to be flown within five nautical miles (or 9.3 kilometers) of a wildfire. If you fly a drone within this distance of a wildfire, it immediately halts aerial firefighting operations because it is not safe for aircraft to be flying with drones in the air. Interfering with wildfire control operations can land you a court appearance.

See Transport Canada's Forest fires and drones fact sheet for more information.

Download the Alberta Wildfire app today and get access to real-time information on wildfires in your area. You can also find information on reporting wildfire, fire bans and fire updates across the province and much more all on your mobile device.

Available for Apple and Android.

To view wildfires on a map, download the AB Wildfire App or visit the Alberta Wildfire

Status Dashboard

Preparing in advance can keep you safe and comfortable, and help you get back to your normal life and work more quickly. It also helps others because emergency responders can focus on helping those who need it the most.

Find active alerts, archived alerts, and details about the Alberta Emergency Alert system here. Albertans who require assistance can call 310-4455 for wildfire related information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Translation services are available to provide information services in languages other than English.

Getting the information at the right time helps you respond quickly and

appropriately. Get alerts by downloading the Alberta Emergency Alert app and visit Alerts and ad visories to learn what other alerting services are available.

When wildfire danger is low to moderate, updates will be issued weekly. However, when the danger escalates to high or extreme levels, updates will be provided daily if fires are active and/ or out of control. Expect your next wildfire update on May 15, 2024, unless conditions change.

Kelly Burke | Wildfire Information Officer

(780) 832-7235

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