By Chris Brown

Province introduces new ways to find wildfire information

Apr 5, 2022 | 12:00 PM

The provincial government has launched two new online applications to get wildfire information directly to Albertans.

The interactive wildfire dashboard displays important, up-to-date statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more.

The province says the dashboard builds on the former wildfire status map by displaying the most frequently accessed information in one convenient location.

Albertans can also now request a free fire permit for the Forest Protection Area of the province through a new online fire permit portal.

Permits are required for burning activities other than campfires during wildfire season and help focus firefighting resources where they are needed most. The province says permits help ensure that when smoke or fire is reported, wildfire officials can determine whether this is a wildfire or a permitted burn.

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Each permit is unique and outlines the restrictions and conditions for your burn, including location, wind speed, time and date of burn and any suppression tools required.

Fire permits can also still be requested by phone by calling your local forest area office.

Anyone living outside of the Forest Protection Area should contact their local municipality for more information about fire permits in their area.

In a release, Nate Horner, minister of agriculture, forestry and rural economic development, says 67 per cent of wildfires last year were caused by humans. These new tools will empower residents and visitors with the information they need to make smart decisions during wildfire season.