Firefighting resources from the Grande Prairie region have been sent to High Level area. Crews there are battling a wildfire just south of the town that has forced the evacuation for its residents and those of nearby areas.

The Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership was contacted by the provincial government Monday and fire engines, a structural protection unit, and 14 firefighters were dispatched to help. GPREP is an emergency response partnership between the City and County of Grande Prairie, the towns of Wembley, Beaverlodge, and Sexsmith, and the Village of Hythe.

If needed, its Emergency Coordination Centre is preparing to receive evacuees. GPREP notes that donations are not being accepted at this time, and the Town of High Level has said the same.

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A fire advisory has been issued for the Grande Prairie Forest Area. Alberta Wildfire says it is needed due to unseasonably warm weather, and a lack of significant rainfall in the forecast.

It has also put a temporary halt to the issuing of new fire permits until conditions improve.

The advisory comes as crews continue to battle a blaze just northwest of the Town of Manning. County of Northern Lights officials say crews are fighting the fire on the south side of the Hotchkiss River. No structures are currently under threat.

Alberta Wildfire says regardless of the advisory, the following things are still allowed if people have a valid permit:

• Safe wood campfires in campgrounds (within fire rings), backyards, or random camping areas
• Charcoal briquettes
• Portable propane fire pits
• Gas or propane stoves and barbecues
• Catalytic or infrared-style heaters

The Wembley Fire Department has also been busy on social media, asking residents to avoid burning of any kind as the conditions would be ideal for fires to get out of control quickly.

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It may go without saying but there's a low risk of a wildfire starting in the Grande Prairie region right now. The hazard for the Grande Prairie Forest Area has been dropped as wildfire season in Alberta came to an end on October 31st.

However, Wildfire Information Officer Kelly Burke warns that doesn't mean there's no risk of wildfire over the winter. She also says it's the best time to burn.

"When our forest is protected from fire with a blanket of snow. Burning outside of the fire season, especially when snow is on the ground, greatly reduces the chance of a wildfire spreading."

She reminds people to checked their burn sites for heat. Permits are no longer needed to burn in the Forest Protection Area.

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Nearly two months after it was issued, Alberta Health Services has lifted its precautionary air quality advisory. Much of the province was plagued by smoky skies in the late summer due to the second worst wildfire season on record for British Columbia.

"Wildfires that variably impacted air quality in Alberta, are no longer a threat to air quality at this time," AHS says in a release.

Both the County of Grande Prairie and the Grande Prairie Forest Area were under fire advisories in August, but both have since been lifted. Wildfire season runs until the end of October, meaning burn permits are still needed.

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People living in the southern part of Grande Prairie might notice some extra noise next month. The County of Grande Prairie will be doing wildfire mitigation work on Crown land southeast of the city.

Noise from chainsaws and other equipment could affect residents and businesses in the area of Pinebrooke, Pine Valley Estates, and Bear Ridge Estates. After fire season ends, Community Services Director Dan Lemieux says there may also be smoke from the burning of leftover debris.

"This FireSmart work is part of the County’s Wildfire Mitigation Strategy, a proactive approach to minimizing and reducing the impacts caused by wildfires, which can include loss of life and infrastructure. Crews will be removing the deadfall, as well as the over-mature spruce, both which add to the fuel load in forested areas."

Work will start next week and is expected to take until early December. For about one month, two blocks of Crown land will be off-limits to the public as a safety measure. Drivers are also asked to watch out for logging trucks in the area, as Canfor is buying some of what's being logged.

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The County of Grande Prairie has lifted its fire advisory. Residents of the County, the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley, and the Village of Hythe can again apply for burn permits.

County Fire Chief Dan Verdun says the decision was made due to the cooler temperatures and recent rain. He still urges people to make sure they're being safe when doing any burning.

"Residents are reminded that during fire season a burn permit is required. Burning is not permitted when winds reach 12 km per hour or higher."

The province lifted the fire advisory for the Grande Prairie Forest Area last week.

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It's getting crispier in the Grande Prairie Forest Area. The wildfire hazard has risen to very high.

"Exercise extreme caution in forested areas as warm temperatures and high gusty winds over the next 24 hours will create conditions that are favorable for wildfire ignition and spread," says Wildfire Information Officer Kelly Burke. "Call 310-FIRE if you see smoke."

Burke says smoke from wildfires burning in British Columbia continues to drift into the area. More is expected for the next couple of days as multiple wildfires are burning within Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.

Fire advisories remain in place for the forest area and County of Grande Prairie. No new fire permits will be issued for heavy fuel or non-essential burning.

"Every precaution is needed to ensure no new wildfires are started," explains Burke, "placing additional strain on the province's firefighting resources."

Existing fire permits are still valid, as long as conditions are followed.

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UPDATE: The special air quality statement issued for Grande Prairie and the surrounding area has ended.

The air quality in the Grande Prairie area has again worsened. As of 11 a.m., the Peace Airshed Zone Association registers the Air Quality Health Index in the City of Grande Prairie as 14 or very high. Beaverlodge and Rycroft's AQHIs are considered high at 10 and 8 respectively.

A special air quality statement is still in effect for parts of the Grande Prairie - Beaverlodge - Valleyview region. Environment Canada says smoke from wildfires in B.C. is leading to the poor air quality and visibility.

"Air quality is expected to improve from north to south on Saturday afternoon and evening," it says.

Residents are encouraged to stay inside if they have breathing difficulties. There are nearly 600 wildfires burning in British Columbia, and the province is in its third day of a state of emergency.

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Thick wildfire smoke is expected to return to Peace Country skies. A special air quality statement has again been issued for the Grande Prairie - Beaverlodge - Valleyview region, as well as parts of Peace River - Fairview - High Prairie - Manning.

Environment Canada says a plume of smoke from more than 600 forest fires in British Columbia has moved into northwestern Alberta, leading to poor air quality and reduced visibility. The Peace Airshed Zone Association currently measures the Air Quality Health Index in Grande Prairie as 7 or high, and moderate in Beaverlodge and Rycroft at 5 and 4 respectively.

The smoky conditions could mean symptoms for some people, like coughing throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk.

"Stay inside if you have breathing difficulties," advises Environment Canada. "Find an indoor place that’s cool and ventilated. Using an air conditioner that cools and filters air may help. If you open the windows you may let in more polluted air. If your home isn’t air-conditioned, consider going to a public place (library, shopping mall, recreation centre) that is air-conditioned."

People with lung diseases like asthma and COPD can be especially sensitive to air pollution. The government says they will generally experience more serious health effects at lower levels.

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The recent rain in the Grande Prairie area has dropped the wildfire hazard. It's now moderate, but fire advisories remain in effect for the forest area and County of Grande Prairie.

Wildfire information officer Kelly Burke says provincial crews are out checking for new wildfires from lightning. Since the beginning of wildfire season in March, the Grande Prairie Forest Area has seen 13 hectares of land burned by 35 wildfires.

"Despite the cooler temperatures and rain, the need to reduce the opportunity for human-caused wildfires in our province remain," says Burke. "The fire danger levels continue to be high in the northern parts of our forest area and are high to extreme in many areas of the province and new wildfires continue to ignite."

Burke adds the need for a fire advisory is still being assessed. More than 25 millimetres of rain fell in the City of Grande Prairie Sunday.

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Wind this afternoon is expected to give some the Grande Prairie area some relief from wildfire smoke. The smoke from fires in B.C. thickened over the city Friday morning, with the Air Quality Health Index reaching 10.6 or a very high risk before 11 a.m.

Wildfire Information Officer Kelly Burke says that should start to lift Friday afternoon.

"We're expecting a cold front to come through that'll ease the wildfire smoke this weekend," she explains. "You should expect it to be varying wildly across our area; shifting winds and rising temperatures the concentrations of smoke will be different throughout our area."

A special air quality statement remains in effect for much of the Grande Prairie and MD of Greenview region. Environment Canada agrees that conditions are expected to slowly improve this afternoon, beginning over northern Alberta, as a cold front begins to slide through.

While the smoke may lift for the weekend, hundreds of fires are still burning in British Columbia, and Burke expects Grande Prairie to continue to be affected.

"Smoke is all weather dependent. With west winds that we're expecting, I do expect the smoke to stick around, but we'll see what the weather brings for us."

Winds gusting up to 50 kilometres an hour are in the forecast for the region Friday afternoon. Burke urges people in the area to be extra careful not to spark a local wildfire, especially as much of the province's firefighting resources are already spoken for.

"A lot of these [resources] have been deployed on export to other provinces. We do have sufficient coverage for our hazard."

Currently, the wildfire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area is high, and a fire advisory is in place, as well as for the County of Grande Prairie. No new fire permits will be issued for heavy fuel or non-essential burning. Travellers are encouraged to visit FireBans.ca to see what restriction are in place for where they are going.

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Wildfire smoke continues to blanket much of the Peace Country. The smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning across British Columbia has been making its way to the region over the past few days and is expected to continue for at least a few more.

Alberta Health Services issued a precautionary air quality advisory for the entire province Wednesday, warning Albertans about the potential health concerns that can be associated with smoky air conditions.

"Although minor smoke conditions do not typically cause health concerns in healthy individuals, if smoke conditions become more severe, even healthy individuals may experience temporary irritation of eyes and throat, and possibly shortness of breath."

A special air quality statement from Environment Canada is also still in effect for the Grande Prairie - Beaverlodge - Valleyview region. The Air Quality Health Index for Grande Prairie reached 7 or a high risk Thursday morning. As of 12 p.m. it was 5, or moderate, while Rycroft is at a 7 and Beaverlodge at 5.

Fire advisories are still in place for both the Grande Prairie Forest Area and the County of Grande Prairie due to the hot and dry conditions and the heavy smoke causing low visibility. No new permits for heavy or non-essential burning will be issued until further notice.

[caption id="attachment_42633" align="alignnone" width="725"] The smoke forecast over the Peace Country as of 12 p.m. on August 9, 2018, FireSmoke.ca[/caption]

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A fire advisory has been issued for the Grande Prairie Forest Area. Alberta Wildfire says it's needed due to increasingly hot and dry weather and low visibility from wildfire smoke.

Wildfire Information Officer Kelly Burke says they're also dealing with limited resources from crews helping with wildfires in B.C., southern Alberta, and Ontario. The thick wildfire smoke also makes it difficult to monitor from their fire towers.

"We want to lessen human-caused wildfires as much as possible," Burkes urges.

No new fire permits will be issued for heavy fuel or non-essential burning. Existing fire permits are still valid, as long as it's within the permit conditions.

The Grande Prairie area is blanketed in wildfire smoke drifting in from the wildfires in B.C. The hazy conditions are expected in the air for the next couple of days.

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Smoke from wildfires in B.C. is affecting the air in the Alberta Peace Country. Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement, warning the smoke is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility.

As of 3 p.m. on August 7th, both the Alberta government and the Peace Airshed Zone Association have recorded the Air Quality Health Index for Grande Prairie as a 4.0 and Rycroft as 5.0, which are considered moderate conditions. Environment Canada notes that during a wildfire, "smoke conditions can change quickly over short distances and can vary considerably hour-by-hour."

Poor air quality can reportedly lead to coughing, throat irritation, headaches, or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and people with cardiovascular or lung disease are especially at risk.

"Stay inside if you have breathing difficulties," the government says. "Find an indoor place that's cool and ventilated. Using an air conditioner that cools and filters air may help. If you open the windows you may let in more polluted air. If your home isn't air-conditioned, consider going to a public place (library, shopping mall, recreation centre) that is air-conditioned."

Hundreds of wildfires are burning across British Columbia. A team of 20 wildland firefighters from the Grande Prairie area were deployed to help last week.

[caption id="attachment_42531" align="alignnone" width="1099"] The Air Quality Health Index in the Grande Prairie region as of 3 p.m. August 7, 2018, Government of Alberta[/caption]

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A group of wildland firefighters from the Grande Prairie region has been shipped off to B.C. Wildfire information officer Kelly Burke says a 20-person crew and an area representative are off to the Prince George Wildfire Centre.

There are now more than 450 wildfires burning in British Columbia, and an update from the B.C. Wildfire Service late Thursday said intense lightning storms have generated a significant increase in fire activity.

"The province is experiencing a high level of fire activity and multiple fire starts and will require assistance from outside of B.C. to continue managing the situation," it reads.

From Prince George, the local firefighters will be deployed to wherever in the province they are needed. Burke adds other crews from around Alberta are helping out as well.

"Rest assured we still have enough to cover the current wildfire danger," she maintains.

The wildfire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area has been bumped up to moderate ahead of the long weekend due to the recent sunny and windy weather. Burke notes that while some parts of the local forest have gotten a significant amount of rain, others have not.

"Please do your part to prevent wildfires and if you spot a wildfire call 310-FIRE."

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