The total number of fire personnel is slowly decreasing in the Wood Buffalo Wildfire update.
There are 75 fire personnel and eight helicopters responding to wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park today. Several area closures are in place for safety reasons. The fire is actively burning on both sides of Pine Lake Road and it is imperative that members of the public do not travel in this area.
Fire 23 was last mapped at approximately 550 hectares. It is located approximately 22 km north of Highway 5, 3.2 km south of the park’s boundary line and approximately 43 km southeast of Sandy Lake. This fire had some higher intensity activity on it yesterday, but there has been minimal growth observed toward Highway 5. Highway 5 remains open, and there is no risk to any communities from this fire at this time.
Fire specialists continue to fly the area daily and are using the information acquired to develop a fire analysis, which looks at management options and highlights the resources required for each option. Currently, the fire is surrounded by historic burn areas with poor fuel. It is anticipated these previous burns will limit the fire’s growth.
Smoke may be visible from the highway, so travellers are asked to drive with caution in the area. Safety of people, communities and infrastructure is the top priority for Parks Canada in fire management operations.
Fire 17 is approximately 13 hectares in size and is classified as Under Control. It was detected and actioned immediately. This fire is 30 km from Fort Smith and poses no current risk to any communities.
Other active fires in Wood Buffalo National Park not listed in these updates pose no current risk to any communities and are burning in remote areas of the park. They are being monitored by fire personnel and structure protection will be put on values at risk (cabins and other infrastructure) in the area as needed.
