A firefighter works to extinguish hot spots at Kerkeslin Campground August 7, 2024. (Parks Canada)

By Government of Alberta

Alberta

Alberta wildfire information update: August 9

Aug 9, 2024 | 7:02 PM

A new intergovernmental committee has been established to provide joint oversight, co-ordination and advice to elected officials as Jasper recovers and rebuilds. Increasing wildfire danger throughout much of the province may lead to heightened fire activity in the coming days.

Jasper-Alberta-Canada Intergovernmental Redevelopment Committee

• The Jasper-Alberta-Canada Intergovernmental Redevelopment Committee, made up of senior government staff from the Municipality of Jasper, Parks Canada and the Alberta government has been established to provide joint oversight, co-ordination and advice to elected officials as Jasper recovers and rebuilds.
• The committee is first focusing on transitional and interim housing needs.
  • To better understand and meet the housing needs of residents, the Municipality of Jasper has launched a Housing Needs Assessment Survey.
  • The survey will help inform efforts to secure suitable housing for those who need it.
  • Beginning Aug. 12, residents can access translation services in French, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Hindi and Arabic to help them complete the survey in the language of their choice by dialing 211.

Bus tours

• Bus tours continue for Jasper residents wishing to view the community.
  • As of Friday morning, there were 284 households registered, representing 615 individual Jasper residents.
  • More than 130 residents have toured Jasper so far with more touring Aug. 9.
  • Additional tours are scheduled to depart from Edmonton, Calgary, Hinton and Valemount in the coming days.
  • Tours will continue to be scheduled according to the number of registrations and as long as conditions remain safe.
• Residents interested in touring the Town of Jasper can register online at Alberta.ca/emergency.
  • All Jasper residents may register.
  • As the wildfire situation in Jasper National Park continues to fluctuate, bus tours are subject to change and will only proceed at the direction of the incident command team in Jasper and as conditions allow.
  • To ensure everyone’s safety, initially, no one will be permitted to leave the bus while inside the national park.
  • Once eligible residents have registered, they will be contacted with more details.
  • Please note: media will not be permitted to participate in the tours.

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Orders and alerts

• An evacuation order for Jasper and Jasper National Park remains in effect. Reception centres in Grande Prairie, Calgary and Edmonton are providing support to evacuees:
  • Grande Prairie reception centre: Holiday Inn and Suites, 9816 107 Street.
  • Calgary reception centre: Shouldice Arena, 1515 Home Road NW.
  • Edmonton reception centre: Kennedale Site Building #2, 12814 58 Street.
  • The Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada are sharing information on re-entry as it becomes available. For updates, visit the Re-entry progress page on the Municipality of Jasper website.
  • An evacuation alert for Saddle Hills County remains in effect.
  • Residents and visitors south of Township Road 790, between Range Road 102 and Range Road 111, should be prepared to evacuate on short notice, if required.
  • Updates will be provided at saddlehills.ab.ca.
• An evacuation alert remains in affect for all three Little Red River Cree Nation communities (John D’Or Prairie, Fox Lake and Garden River) as a precaution to help ensure residents are prepared to leave again on short notice if required.

Current situation

• There are 111 wildfires currently burning across Alberta in the Forest Protection Area.
  • 13 are classified as out of control, 35 are being held, and 63 are under control.
• The response is focused on the wildfires that pose a direct threat to human life, communities, critical infrastructure and major industrial facilities.
• According to Parks Canada, the wildfire in Jasper National Park remains classified as out of control. Cooler weather and precipitation forecast over the next few days should help subdue wildfire behaviour.
  • This wildfire is estimated at about 33,000 hectares.
  • Alberta’s government continues to support Parks Canada by providing overhead staff, crews, helicopters and heavy equipment, as well as directing the military. Airtankers are also available when needed.
• The Semo Complex wildfire HWF061 is still classified as out of control at more than 97,500 hectares in size.
  • It is about two kilometres from Highway 58, 13 kilometres from Garden River, 19 kilometres from John D’Or Prairie and 15 kilometres from Fox Lake.
  • More than 450 wildland firefighters and support personnel, 24 helicopters and more than 100 pieces of heavy equipment are currently working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.
• Wildfire GWF 077, located in Saddle Hills County, is classified as out of control at more than 150 hectares.
  • High to extreme fire behaviour is anticipated Aug. 9 and 10.
• Since January 1, there have been 1,043 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, burning more than 600,000 hectares.
• Nearly 1,900 Alberta firefighters and support staff are currently working in the province.
• In addition to provincial resources, Alberta has imported firefighters, support staff and equipment from other jurisdictions to support wildfire response and suppression efforts.
• More than 750 firefighting staff are contributing to the wildfire response from Canadian provinces, including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Northwest Territories and the Yukon and from countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
• Airtankers may use water from nearby lakes to fight wildfires. If you are on the water and see an aircraft coming to collect water, please move to the shore. Failing to do so impedes firefighting efforts. Albertans who do not comply could face a mandatory court appearance.
• Information about wildfires can be found by visiting the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard.

Fire bans

• A number of fire bans throughout the Forest Protection Area have been lifted. A fire restriction remains in effect for the High Level area, parts of the Grande Prairie area are under a restriction, and a fire advisory is in place for the Fort McMurray area. Please confirm advisories, restrictions or bans for your area at alberta.ca/fire-bans.
• Cities, towns, villages and federal lands such as national parks have the authority to issue their own fire bans. A fire ban remains in place around Jasper National Park.
• Albertans should visit their local municipality’s website or social media to confirm if a fire ban is in effect in their area.
• All Albertans have a role to play in wildfire prevention. Albertans must follow all fire bans and restrictions to avoid new fire starts. If you see smoke or flames in the forest, call 310-FIRE to report it.
• Applying FireSmart principles to homes and property can mitigate the risk of wildfire damage. Removing flammable materials and vegetation around the property and preventing embers from accumulating can help protect your home from wildfires. To learn more, visit FireSmart Alberta.

Getting involved in wildfire response

• We’ve heard from Albertans who are eager to support wildfire operations near their communities, and we’re providing opportunities to do so through the Wildfire Reservist Program.
• If you’re interested in lending a hand, learn more at alberta.ca.

Red Cross financial supports for Jasper residents

• The Canadian Red Cross is providing $750 in one-time financial assistance per household for people evacuated from their primary residence in Jasper.
• To access this assistance, people must be registered with the Red Cross.
• People who have not yet registered with the Red Cross are encouraged to do so online or by calling 1-800-863-6582 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• With the federal and provincial governments matching donations to the Canadian Red Cross, every $1 donated will become $3 to support those most impacted by wildfires in Alberta.

Eligible for Emergency Evacuation Payments

• Residents from Jasper and Jasper National Park, including temporary foreign workers and seasonal workers, Little Red River Cree Nation, Janvier 194 (part of Chipewyan Prairie First Nation) and Chipewyan Lake (part of the Municipal District of Opportunity) affected by evacuation orders are eligible for one-time emergency evacuation payments of $1,250 for each adult and $500 for each child under the age of 18.
• Evacuees are encouraged to apply for these emergency payments online at evacuationpayment.alberta.ca, by calling the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992 or by visiting an Alberta Supports office for assistance. Locations can be found at alberta.ca/alberta-supports.
• Alberta Supports Centres are open Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Those in need of immediate emergency financial assistance can contact the Income Support Emergency Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. The contact centre operates 24/7.
• People who left their home community, but who were not part of a mandatory evacuation order, are not eligible for payment.

Roads and highways

• 511 Alberta is the best source of real time information as conditions change on our highways. Follow on X (formerly known as Twitter) @511alberta.
• Alberta’s highways that are impacted by the wildfires will open and close frequently as the safety situation varies in the weather conditions. Please be patient and respect the staff at the closure/detour sites – they are there with your safety in mind.

Jasper Area – Highway 16, 93 and 93A closures

• Both directions (east and west) of Highway 16 are open through Jasper National Park from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. effective Aug. 9.
  • Fuel services are not available westward after Hinton.
  • Motorists are encouraged to travel prepared, with full fuel.
  • No stopping is permitted through the Jasper National Park.
  • The highway is closed to all traffic daily 9 p.m. – 7 a.m.
  • NOTE: These times are subject to change without notice and are dependent on fire behaviour and operational needs.
• The Southern section of the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) is open between Lake Louise, Saskatchewan Crossing and the Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
  • The Northern section of the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93) remains closed from Highway 16 to Athabasca Glacier area of the Columbia Icefield.
  • Highway 93A remains closed.

Highway 734 – Clearwater County

• Highway 734 South of Nordegg is closed between Ram Falls airport and Township Road 383A.

Emergency Preparedness

• Get ready for emergencies and disasters by taking simple steps now. To be prepared, Albertans need to know what to do, where to go and have enough supplies for a week or more. Supplies include food, water, medications and important documents. Include supplies for pets as well.
• Read more about emergency preparedness.

Health

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) Emergency Medical Services has a crew staged at the Jasper National Park gates on a rotating basis, for as long as resources allow.
• AHS North Zone leadership has connected directly with the Municipality of Jasper’s elected officials and administrators regarding the process to restore basic services.
• A schedule of work is being completed by AHS for facility readiness with the priority being the opening of the hospital’s emergency department. AHS is developing a staffing plan to support the re-opening of the emergency department.
• For information about wildfire resources, including mental health, visit albertahealthservices.ca/news.

Education

• Alberta Education is working with affected school authorities to ensure support and stability for students in the weeks and months ahead.
• Families are encouraged to contact their school authority for the most up-to-date information on school operations.
  • Grande Yellowhead Public School Division
  • Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord (please email jasper@centrenord.ab.ca)

Offers of Support

• Any companies, individuals or organizations that would like to offer support to those affected by the wildfires can email their offers to EmergencySupportOffers@gov.ab.ca.
• Albertans can also donate to Alberta Red Cross in support of wildfire evacuees.

Mental health and addiction resources

• Resources are available for Albertans struggling with their mental health or wanting to talk to someone about how they are feeling:
  • Call the AHS Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642 or visit www.ahs.ca/wildfire.
  • Call 211 or text INFO to 211 or visit ab.211.ca to access digital supports or find local services near you.
    • When calling 211, press 6 for immediate support. If you’re in B.C., dial 211 and say you’re from Alberta.
  • Call Counselling Alberta at 1-833-827-4230 or visit counsellingalberta.com for online counselling services.
• Addiction supports are also available:
  • Call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 or Health Link at 811.
  • Call the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program at 1-844-383-7688 for same-day treatment with no fees, no waitlist.
• In support of bus tours for residents to see damage, mental health and social support referral services will be on site prior for helping people to prepare, as well as on the buses and afterwards to ensure people know where they can turn for help.

Related information

• Active emergency updates
• Alberta Emergency Alerts
• Download the Alberta Emergency Alerts app
• Download the Alberta Wildfire app
• Wildfire smoke information