LAC LA BICHE - Going into the weekend, forest fires number 193 and 194 for the season in the Lac La Biche Forest Protection Area were being classified under control. Both of the fires are in the same general area near at the House River near Wandering River and the House River Provincial Recreation Area. The larger of the two fires has been burning since late July, and has burned-up 500 hectares of land. A smaller fire near that one started just a few days ago and charred almost 100 hectares.
The smaller fire was the result of a lightning strike. The cause of the larger fire is still under investigation, say Alberta Wildfire officials. While smoke and activity around the fire has caused several traffic disruptions on Highway 63 near Wandering River, no significant private property has been reported to have been damaged by the fires.
Although recently classified as under control, the larger burn continues to host more than 75 firefighters and equipment operators, including eight wildland firefighter crews, three bucket-helicopters and a water truck. The smaller fire requires only one person on site.
The two most recent fires pushed the fire damage in the Lac La Biche Forest to just under 1,500 hectares so far this year. The Lac La Biche Forest Protection Area contains more than four million hectares of land including public lands around Lac La Biche, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Conklin and Athabasca. The provincial fire season runs from April 1 to March 31.
Slow burn
To date, the 2021 fire season in the Lac La Biche Forest has been less active than most. In 2020, the same region recorded 704 total fires, burning about 3,300 hectares of land. Last year was the fifth lowest amount of fire activity reported in the province over the last 50 years. The five year average for the number of fires in provincial forest protection areas has been closer to 1,400.
While the 2021 fire season in Alberta has been quiet, neighbouring provinces have seen devastating and record-high wildfire activity.
In recent weeks several Lakeland area firefighters have provided mutual aid to areas in Saskatchewan, and more recently British Columbia, where mountain wildfires continue to burn, forcing community evacuations in areas across much of the province's south, central and northwest. Some local military personnel have also been assigned to fire-line and support duties in BC.
Tests and training
Locally, though the threat is down, fire officials continue to train and prepare. Last week, as the Wandering River fires were being contained, Alberta Wildfire crews on the ground and in the air at the Lac La Biche Air Tanker Base were testing new equipment. Some of that equipment is actually used by firefighters to start fires. Called an ignition drum, one piece of equipment is hooked to a cable and carried by a helicopter to an active fire area. The drum contains a flammable liquid that will be used with a device called a helitorch. When triggered by an ignition specialist, the fuel is pumped to a nozzle and expelled across an open flame. The ignited fuel is then dropped into the crowns of trees and on the ground to slow down the spread of advancing flames.
While Lac La Biche crews were testing the equipment last week, the ignition drum wasn't used on any local fires, says Josee St.-Onge, an information officer with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
CLICK for video of controlled burn
"On that particular date, the equipment was being tested, but wasn't used on a specific fire," she told Lakeland Today, adding that the technique has been used to battle recent fires in neighbouring provinces. "There is video on Twitter of the BC wildfire crews using that technique this summer to fight large wildfires, it's quite impressive."
As the number of fires in the Lakeland and Lac La Biche Forest area remains low, wildfire officials hope another statistic associated with wildfires trends downward as well. Last year 88 per cent of all wildfires in the province were human-caused. So far this fire season — with most of the seasonal hot weather passed — that percentage is projected to be far less. Of the 26 fire currently burning in the province going into the weekend, only three have been linked to human ignition. Wildfire officials say that 17 were caused by lightning and six are still being investigated.
The wildfire hazard across the Lac La Biche Forest continues to be 'High' — but a cooling and damp weather trend is expected to reduce that risk. Temperatures in the coming week are expected to drop from weekend highs in the low 20s going, with rain forecast for most of the week and high temperatures in the mid teens.
Wildfire officials continue to warn back-country travellers, campers and OHV users to be fire smart, to fully extinguish campfires and to clean debris from heat sources on their off-road machines.
"We urge everyone to use caution when working and recreating outdoors," said St.Onge.
Across the Lakeland, municipal and provincial fire restrictions are still in place. Travellers are advised to check the Alberta Wildfire website for details on the restrictions.
