As a massive wildfire continues to burn out of control more than 250 kilometres north, municipalities to the south have seen some relief in local fire hazards and have lifted area fire and ATV bans.
Lac La Biche County officials and Alberta Forestry staff have lifted both the fire and ATV bans that have existed in the area over the last two weeks since a massive fire swept through the Fort McMurray community, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from northern Alberta.
Alberta Forestry lifted their fire and ATV ban across the Lac La Biche Fire Protection area late yesterday as recent rains and cooler temperatures reduced fire hazards in the region. According to one of two provincial fire ban websites, the restrictions were still in place as late as Wednesday afternoon for areas around Plamondon, but Forestry officials confirmed late Wednesday that the ban had actually been lifted on Tuesday. The ban only affects areas within the provincial fire protection area that surrounds the Lac La Biche County area.
The municipality of Lac La Biche County waited until Wednesday afternoon to release a short message that their fire ban restrictions had also been lifted.
The County's fire ban affects area within what thier fire officials are calling the "yellow permitting area" of the municipality.
A map of the yellow area is included.
The Fort McMurray fire has blazed across more than 560,000 hectares of land across northern Alberta and several thousand hectares in northwestern Saskatchewan. The fire is still classified as out of control.
http://www.laclabichecounty.com/home/showdocument?id=4450
