Photo credit: Grande Prairie Forest Area Wildfire Information office.

By Curtis Galbraith

Wildfires

Wildfire hazard ratings climbing

May 28, 2023 | 5:56 PM

Updated from an earlier version.

The warm weather means the wildfire hazard rating has now climbed to High in the Grande Prairie Forest Area.

The three fires in the Sturgeon Lake Complex. which includes the Bald Mountain fire, are all being held.

The province says that Phase 2 of the re-entry at Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation has been completed and Phase 3 is underway.

The hazard in the Peace River Forest Area is now rated High after being rated Moderate on Saturday.

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A mandatory evacuation order for the Peavine Metis Settlement has been downgraded to an alert.

One fire in the Kimiwan Complex is still listed as out of control at just under 120,000 hectares. It is 55 per cent contained. The other fire is listed as being held and is 100 per cent contained.

The Peace River Banks/Cleardale fire is still listed as being held at 47,486 hectares.

The wildfire hazard in the Whitecourt Forest Area is also considered High.

The fire near Fox Creek is still considered out of control at 73,479 hectares. Fire watchers say what they call danger trees along the perimeter of the fire are being cut down. Evacuees have returned to Fox Creek and Little Smoky.

The Whitecourt Forest Area also has another out of control fire that has burned 55,344 hectares.

The hazard is also High in Slave Lake Forest Area.

The fire seven kilometres south of High Prairie is still listed as out of control at 123,670 hectares.

One of the fires in the Salteaux Complex is considered out of control at over 4700 hectares. The other two are being held at a combined area of just under 1100 hectares. The fires are located five kilometres northwest of Smith and 30 kilometres east of Slave Lake.

The Grizzly Complex located 26 kilometres south of Kinuso includes three fires and is considered out of control at over 16,700 hectares.

The Nipisi Complex located east of the Whitefish Lake First Nation is being held at 43,981 hectares.

The hazard in the High Level Forest Area is considered Very High. It had five active fires, two of which are out of control with the other three being held.

The out of control fires include the Paskwa fire in Fox Lake at 73,936 hectares and the Long Lake fire near Rainbow Lake at 132,005 hectares.

Province wide, there are now 57 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, 17 of which are considered out of control.

There are 2700 people fighting those fires.