After months of wildfires ravaging the province, there seems to be no reprieve, with dozens of fires still burning in Alberta.
Data from the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard showed there were 91 active wildfires and eight mutual aid wildfires burning in Alberta current from Aug. 9.
One of those fires, HWF-058-2023 in the High Level Forest Area, had an out of control wildfire status. The estimated area was 39575 Ha, with the general cause considered to be lightning.
Currently, there are 35 wildfires being held and 55 wildfires under control.
Of the active wildfires, nine were suspected to be caused by humans, 66 were suspected to be caused by lightening, and 16 are still under investigation.
Data from the database showed there are two wildfires of note in the province. The wildfire MWF-043 is located 20 km south of Fort Fitzgerald and is classified as an out of control at 108,555 hectares.
The fire had minimal growth on Tuesday, the dashboard stated, and firefighters were working to extinguish hot spots and helicopters continued to bucket along the perimeter.
“A structural protection unit (SPU) crew continues to set up sprinkler systems to protect infrastructure at risk. The systems will be turned on as required,” the dashboard read.
The second wildfire of note is a part of the Basset complex and includes HWF-058, which is located 13 km northwest of Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement and is classified as out of control at 39,575 hectares. PWF-067 is located 18 km from the intersection of the Keg River Highway and Highway 35 and 695 intersection and is classified as out of control at 5,248 hectares. PWF-079 is classified as under control at 3 hectares.
“Firefighters continue to work on extinguishing hotspots and strengthening containment lines. They are assisted by helicopters that are bucketing in the area. Heavy equipment continues to extend the containment lines,” the dashboard read.
Current from Aug. 9, there were a total of 960 wildfires this year with the majority, 513 being classified as human suspected caused. Lightening was the suspected cause of 357 of those wildfires, and 90 wildfires are still under investigation.
This year has not yet been the busiest wildfire season in Alberta. The season ranks third in a five-year comparison. In 2018 there were 1,109 wildfires while 2019 was the second-highest year with 1,074 wildfires.
