Alberta Wildfire is reporting another 47 wildfire starts in the past 24 hours as 150 wildfires burn across the province.
Of the fires burning within Alberta’s wildfire protection areas, 51 are burning out of control, 34 are being held and 42 are under control. Much of Alberta remains under a heat warning as daytime highs are expected to reach between 28 and 36 C over the next seven to nine days.
The fire danger is similarly elevated in many areas of the province, the majority falling under a very high danger with pockets of extreme fire danger.
In a social media post, Alberta Wildfire says most new wildfires in July have been caused by lightning.
Around half of wildfires this year are suspected to have been caused by human activity and 30 per cent by lightning. About 20 per cent remain under investigation.
The largest wildfire in the province covers 82,709 hectares, one of two out-of-control wildfires in the Cattail Lake Complex. The wildfire is about seven kilometres northeast of industrial facilities, 63 kilometres northeast of Fort McKay and 68 kilometres northeast of Fort McMurray. On Tuesday, the fire spread northward.
The largest wildfire in the Semo complex in the High Level Forest Area of northern Alberta is out of control and estimated at around 50,000 hectares in size. Due to low-laying smoke, Alberta Wildfire says access to the wildfire was limited Tuesday. Heavy equipment is working to build containment lines toward the northeast.
About 200 firefighters and support staff, 10 helicopters and 43 pieces of heavy equipment are working the complex.
The fire is about nine kilometres from Highway 58 and 30 kilometres northwest of the community of Garden River.
Residents of the community who have been evacuated for seven days or more are now able to apply for one-time emergency evacuation payments. An evacuation order was issued a week ago by the Little Red River Cree Nation, which has declared a state of local emergency.
A fire ban is in place for the province’s entire forest protection area.