2023 Alberta wildfires
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| 2023 Alberta wildfires Part of the 2023 Canada wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Sentinel-3 satellite image of the wildfires in Western Canada at on May 20, 2023 | |
| Location | Alberta, Canada |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 745 (109 currently active, of which 19 out of control)[1] |
| Date(s) | March 1, 2023 – present |
| Burned area | 1,200,000 hectares (2,965,265 acres) in total[1] |
| Cause | Lightning, humans[2] |
| Map | |
 Perimeters of 2023 Alberta wildfires – season to date (map data) | |
The 2023 Alberta wildfires are a series of ongoing wildfires in the province of Alberta, Canada as part of the 2023 Canadian wildfires, as of 20 May 2023[update] have burned over 842,000 hectares (2,080,627 acres).[1] This May 20 situation includes 91 active wildfires throughout the province, 25 of them out of control.[1] Multiple communities have been placed under evacuation orders, resulting in over 29,000 people being evacuated.[3] On May 6, the province of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency.[4][5]
Wildfires[edit]
As of 13 May 2023[update], there were 13 wildfires of note in Alberta. These wildfires are in the Edson, Grande Prairie, High Level, Rocky Mountain House, Slave Lake and Whitecourt districts.[6]
Edson Forest Area[edit]
In the Edson Forest Area, wildfire EWF-031 is roughly 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of Edson. It is being held and has caused multiple evacuations for residents in Yellowhead County. The fire danger has been low recently but continues to threaten Edson and other nearby communities.[7] In response, firefighters from all over the globe have arrived to fight the fire. Currently, the active fire area is 201,885 hectares (498,869 acres).[6]
Another wildfire in the Edson Forest Area is WCU-001, which spans an area of 6,284 hectares (15,528 acres) and is under control. The wildfire has not seen much growth in several days. Alberta Wildfire and Parkland County are working together on this wildfire. They have deployed 59 firefighters and 14 heavy equipment to this wildfire.[7]
WCU-002 is classified as under control with an active area of 2,478 hectares (6,123 acres). Yellowhead County and Alberta Wildfire are continuing to cooperate together on the wildfire.[7]
Other wildfires in the Edson area include EWF-035, EWF-039, RWF-034, RWF-040, EWF-037, and EWF-040. All of these fires are either being held or under control and are being actioned to prevent further growth.[7]
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EWF-031 | May 4 – present | 1.5 km (0.93 mi) S of Edson | Being held | 201,885 hectares (498,869 acres) |
| WCU-001 | April 29 – present | 1 km (0.62 mi) N of Wildwood | Under control | 6,284 hectares (15,528 acres) |
| WCU-002 | April 29 – present | 7 km (4.3 mi) SW of Gainford | Under control | 2,478 hectares (6,123 acres) |
Grande Prairie Forest Area[edit]
Fire GWF-017, 6 kilometres (4 mi) west of Valleyview is currently considered out of control and has a burning area of 1,720 hectares (4,250 acres). Road closures are in effect for the area. The municipal structural protection[clarification needed] in the area is helping with the fires.[8][6]
GWF-019 is also out of control 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Grande Prairie with a burning area of 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres).[8]
Other wildfires out of control include GWF-020, GWF-022, GWF-023, and GCU-00, which are mutually being fought by the County of Grande Prairie No. 1, and GMD-001, which is being fought by the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16.[8]
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GWF-017 | May 5 – present | 6 km (4 mi) W of Valleyview | Out of control | 3,765 hectares (9,304 acres) |
| GWF-019 | April 29 – present | 50 km (31 mi) S of Grande Prairie | Out of control | 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres) |
High Level Forest Area[edit]
Two fires that are out of control are currently active in the High Level Forest Area.[9]
HWF-036, named the Long Lake Fire, is a rapidly growing fire classified as out of control. It is the largest fire in the province during the 2023 wildfire season, currently having an active burning area of 108,402 hectares (267,867 acres).[9] It was started just south of the Rainbow Lake Airport and initially grew to the northwest. However, due to multiple wind shifts over the following week, the fire began to spread in an eastward direction. On May 13, the fire made a 25-kilometer run towards the community of Chateh. This also resulted in Rainbow Lake being surrounded in all directions by the wildfire, as well as power and cell service being cut off. Alberta Wildfire, the Rainbow Lake Fire Department and other fire crews from Alaska and Ontario are working together to prevent the growth of the fire.[10] They have deployed 83 firefighters, four helicopters and other heavy equipment.[11]
HWF-030, named the Paskwa Fire, is another out of control fire spreading eastward due to extreme conditions. It is currently at an active burning area of 35,285 hectares (87,191 acres). It is located within the community of Fox Lake, and is located 13 kilometres from the community of Garden River. The fire remains south of the Peace River. The extreme weather conditions are making it hard for firefighters and aircraft to assist the fire. 76 firefighters and 13 helicopters have been deployed as well as heavy equipment. A state of local emergency was declared for Fox Lake, followed by an evacuation order on May 3. An evacuation alert for Garden River was issued on May 13.[11] Over 100 structures have been destroyed in the community of Fox Lake as of May 11, 2023.
HWF-042 is currently under control at 181 hectares (447 acres). It is 1 kilometre (1 mi) north of the Highway 88 bridge over the Peace River. Highway 88 was closed on the afternoon of May 6 until one lane was opened later that day.[12] Twelve firefighters and seven helicopters, heavy equipment and airtankers are working to prevent the fire from spreading further. The fire has since been classified as under control.
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HWF-042 | May 6 – present | 1 km (0.62 mi) N of Peace River | Under control | 181 hectares (447 acres) |
| HWF-036 | May 3 – present | Rainbow Lake | Out of control | 108,402 hectares (267,867 acres) |
| HWF-030 | May 2 – present | Fox Lake | Out of control | 35,285 hectares (87,191 acres) |
Rocky Mountain House Forest Area[edit]
Two wildfires are currently considered as out of control.
RCX-001, also called the Elk River Fire Complex, consists of four fires – RWF-027, RWF-030, RWF-034 and RWF-040. All these fires are considered out of control except RWF-030, which is currently being held. The fires were near the O'Chiese Reserve and had grown to roughly 66,301 hectares (163,833 acres) of actively burning areas. On May 7, RWF-027 was extinguished and the statuses of RWF-030 and RWF-040 were changed to being held. RWF-034 continues to burn out of control.[13]
The other fire considered out of control, RWF-031, is 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Nordegg. Firefighters and heavy equipment are responding to the fire.[13]
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RWF-034 | present | SW of Drayton Valley | Out of control | 67,024 hectares (165,620 acres) |
| RWF-031 | April 29 – present | 17 km (11 mi) SE of Nordegg | Out of control | 80 hectares (198 acres) |
Slave Lake Forest Area[edit]
The Slave Lake Forest Area has the biggest forest area that is actively burning, at 121,201 hectares (299,494 acres). Eight fires in this forest area are currently out of control.[14]
A complex of three wildfires is currently burning out of control with an active burning area of 83,660 hectares (206,728 acres). These wildfires, which are SWF-063, SWF-057 and SWF-064, are referenced as the Grizzly Complex and are being confronted by 60 firefighters, 7 helicopters including an ignition equipped helicopter and 3 heavy equipment groups.[14]
Another large fire complex is the Nipisi Complex, which has burned an area of 17,094 hectares (42,240 acres). This complex consists of SWF-059, SWF-060, SWF-061 and SWF-070. The fires are being fought with 25 firefighters, 5 helicopters and 2 heavy equipment groups.[14]
The last of the out-of-control fires is the SWF-068 fire, which has burned an area of 23,700 hectares (58,564 acres). It is currently being monitored by a wildfire assessor in a helicopter. In the last few days, it has shrunk slightly due to the rainfall in the area.[14]
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWF-063 SWF-057 SWF-064 |
present | SW of Slave Lake | Out of control | 83,660 hectares (206,728 acres) |
| SWF-059 SWF-060 SWF-061 SWF-070 |
present | W of Fort McMurray | Out of control | 17,094 hectares (42,240 acres) |
| SWF-068 | present | SW of Peace River | Out of control | 23,700 hectares (58,564 acres) |
Whitecourt Forest Area[edit]
Three wildfires classified out of control are active in this forest area.[15]
WWF-023 is a rapidly spreading fire due to extreme conditions 15 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Fox Creek heading northwestward. It is currently burning in an area of roughly 21,000 hectares (51,892 acres). Multiple firefighters and helicopters are fighting the fire. Alberta Wildfire and the Town of Fox Creek are working together to prevent damages and casualties.[15]
WIR-001 is a fire burning out of control, currently burning 100 hectares (247 acres). Alberta Wildfire is assisting with hoses and pump equipments.[15]
The WCU-001 and WCU-002 fires are also within the boundaries of the Whitecourt Forest Area.[15]
| Official name | Date | Location | Status | Area burned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WWF-023 | May 5 – present | 15 km (9.3 mi) NE of Fox Creek | Out of control | 21,000 hectares (51,892 acres) |
| WIR-001 | May 1 – present | 1 km (0.62 mi) SW of Duffield | Out of control | 100 hectares (247 acres) |
Evacuations[edit]
Evacuation orders were issued for multiple communities throughout the province.
On April 29, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the hamlets of Evansburg and Entwistle, due to two wildfires in their vicinity.[16] The evacuation order was lifted on May 3, only for it to be reinstated on May 4, due to the fires increasing in size.[17]
The community of Fox Lake, on the Fox Lake 162 reserve, was issued an evacuation order May 3, with all residents being evacuated by May 5. As of May 11, the local police station, general store, and at least 100 homes have been destroyed by fire.[18]
The Town of Drayton Valley, approximately 133 km (83 mi) southwest of Edmonton, was issued an evacuation order on May 4. The local fire department reported that one structure had been lost.[19]
On May 5, the Hamlet of Nordegg and the of Big Horn 144A reserve were issued an evacuation order due to nearby wildfires.[20]
Also on May 5, evacuation orders were issued for the Town of Edson due to multiple nearby wildfires.[21]
On May 6, the Town of Fox Creek and the Hamlet of Little Smoky were issued an evacuation order.[22]
On May 13, the community of Chateh issued an evacuation order due to the Long Lake Fire (HWF-036) making a 25-kilometer run towards the community.[23]
On May 14, the community of Chipewyan Lake issued an evacuation order due to an out-of-control wildfire starting north of the community.
Firefighting[edit]
Seasonal wildland firefighters and year-round firefighters from Alberta Wildfire have been working with municipal and municipal district ("county") paid-on-call volunteers to control the wildfires. On May 5, Alberta Wildfire announced that 79 firefighters from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec would be arriving to assist with firefighting efforts.[24] Alberta Premier Danielle Smith reported that 121,909 hectares have been burned due to the fires.[25] On May 8, 22 Firefighters from the Oregon Department of Forestry were sent to Alberta to help.[26]
By 4 June, 1,836 overseas firefighters from British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, the Yukon Territories, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa had arrived to assist Albertan firefighting efforts.[27][28][29][30][31]
Impact[edit]
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The wildfires have impacted the Alberta general election scheduled for May 29, 2023. The Alberta New Democratic Party announced the party would stop campaigning in the seven ridings hit particularly hard by the fires: Drayton Valley-Devon, Lesser Slave Lake, Central Peace-Notley, Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, West Yellowhead, and Grande Prairie-Wapiti.[32] On May 11, at least 300 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were sent to different parts of Alberta to help.[33]
The jet stream has transported the wildfire smoke from Alberta into the United States and across Canada, extending from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast. In parts of Montana, including Glasgow, a smoke advisory was issued by the National Weather Service.[34] Air quality statements have been issued for Calgary and Edmonton as smoke descends from the wildfires. It caused hazy skies.[35]
The wildfire smoke has also drifted to Europe and is mainly over Scandinavia.[36] On May 25, Sentinel-3 captured an image (left) showing the smoke over Europe.[37]
See also[edit]
- List of disasters in Canada
- List of fires in Canada
- 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire
- 2018 British Columbia wildfires
- 2019 Alberta wildfires
- Weather of 2023
- 2023 Western North America heat wave
- 2023 Nova Scotia wildfires
- 2023 Central Canada wildfires
- 2023 Canadian wildfires
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "UPDATE: Alberta's wildfire situation, as of 4 p.m., May 20". rdnewsNOW. 2023-05-20. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard". Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "More than 29,000 people are evacuated from communities throughout Alberta as wildfires rage in Canada". CNN. 8 May 2023. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ "Canada's Alberta announces state of emergency over wildfires". Al Jazeera. 7 May 2023. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Alberta declares state of emergency | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ a b c "Wildfires of Note". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Edson Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Grande Prairie Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "High Level Area Update". 2023-05-15. Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ "High Level Area Update". 2023-05-12. Archived from the original on 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ a b "High Level Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "High Level Forest Area Wildfire Update – May 6, 2023 at 8:30 p.m." 2023-05-11. Archived from the original on 2023-05-11. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
- ^ a b "Rocky Mountain House Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Slave Lake Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Whitecourt Area Update". Alberta Wildfire. Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Communities surrounding Edmonton under evacuation orders as area grass fires grow". edmontonjournal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-30. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ "Entwistle residents flee twice in once week, more Parkland County residents evacuated Friday". Edmonton. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Fox Lake evacuees settling in High Level area as wildfire remains out of control". Edmonton. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Drayton Valley residents flee central Alberta town amid wildfire evacuation order | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-06. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ "Evacuation alert issued for Nordegg, Bighorn area due to wildfire – Red Deer Advocate". www.reddeeradvocate.com. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ "Damage details, length of evacuation order unknown in Yellowhead County". Edmonton. May 5, 2023. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
- ^ Fisher, Erica (May 6, 2023). "UPDATE: Fox Creek evacuation order expanded to include Little Smoky, surrounding areas". My Grande Prairie Now. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ ""Residents of Chateh, Alta., flee their homes again as fire encroaches"". CBC News. 2023-05-14. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
- ^ Jones, Sarah. "Alberta calls in 79 out of province firefighters to assist in multiple active wildfires". Archived from the original on 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
- ^ Tucker, Dave Alsup,Matt Phillips,Emma (May 6, 2023). "Almost 25,000 people in Western Canada evacuated as wildfires rage across region amid hot weather and high winds". CNN. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "ODF sends 22 firefighters to Alberta to help fight wildfires". May 8, 2023. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ Dryden, Joe (June 4, 2023). "Alberta has imported roughly 2,000 firefighters from around the world. But what comes next?". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "NZ firefighters heading to Canada to combat wildfires". 1 News. TVNZ. May 20, 2023. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Alaska sends firefighters, air tanker to help with Alberta's 'unprecedented' early wildfire season". Alaska Public Media. May 11, 2023. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "Western Australian firefighting specialists deploy to Canada". wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. May 23, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ "South African firefighters sing, dance after touching down in Edmonton". CityNews. June 4, 2023. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ^ Climenhaga, David (2023-05-07). "Wildfire state of emergency introduces new calculus to Alberta election campaign". Alberta Politics. Archived from the original on 2023-05-07. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
- ^ Mertz, Emily (May 11, 2023). "Alberta wildfires: Where and how are Canadian Armed Forces deployed?". Global News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Livingston, Ian (2023-05-17). "Calgary smothered in wildfire smoke, as plumes surge into Lower 48 states". Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
- ^ Heidenreich, Phil; Mertz, Emily. "Alberta wildfires: Smoke triggers special air quality statement for much of province | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
- ^ "Long-range transport of smoke 1–25 May from North American & Eurasian boreal #wildfires represented by @CopernicusECMWF Atmosphere Monitoring Service @ECMWF organic matter aerosol optical depth analyses assimilating multiple satellite🛰️ observations". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ "Smoke from Canada wildfires reaches Europe | Copernicus". www.copernicus.eu. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
External links[edit]
- "Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard". Alberta Wildfire. Retrieved May 6, 2023.