The recent and upcoming wet weather in the Grande Prairie area is being welcomed by provincial firefighters, but there remains a very high wildfire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area. It has been reduced from extreme, but Wildfire Information Officer Kelly Burke says the quantity received on provincial wildfires so far varies.
“Many areas have not received significant rain, causing the fire danger to remain very high in the Grande Prairie Forest Area.”
A new wildfire was reported northwest of New Fish Creek Sunday night. It’s reported the blaze was sparked by lightning that touched a brush pile as a thunderstorm rolled through.
The Valleyview Fire Department responded along with the landowner and a four-person crew of wildland firefighters who worked on it through the night. The fire is estimated to be 0.31 hectares in size and has been turned over to the landowner. They have also been ordered to reduce and remove fuel on their land.
The fire near Grovedale is still classified as out of control and is estimated to be 14,540 hectares in size roughly 17 kilometres west of Highway 40. The fire crossed the Bald Mountain Road to the east late last week and is in proximity to the intersection of Odum Ridge Road and Bald Mountain Road to the south.
The two fires that make up the Sturgeon Lake Complex are now estimated to be 5,752 and 3,869 hectares in size respectively and both are classified as out of control. Alberta Wildfire says a second thermal scan was conducted last night and several hundred more hot spots were identified, which is said to help firefighters better focus their efforts.