UPDATE: As of Sept. 10, the wildfire near Abraham Lake has been extinguished
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A wildfire discovered on Saturday in the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area is being held.
The fire is located just northwest of Abraham Lake and is 0.3 hectares in size, down from 0.5 Sunday morning.
Alberta Forestry lists the fire as held and under control.
“Thanks to the hard work of firefighters, this wildfire is now classified as being held, and is not expected to grow past its established boundaries,” it says at Alberta.ca. “Firefighters are still on site and continue to fight this wildfire, along with support from helicopters and airtankers as required.”
The current wildfire danger rating for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area is HIGH.
Campfires are allowed in the area, and existing permits remain valid. Permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis, but none will be issued for fireworks or exploding targets.
Alberta Forestry reminds visitors to never leave a campfire unattended. One should soak it, stir it, and soak it again to ensure it’s extinguished.
Travis Fairweather, Alberta Wildfire Provincial Information Officer, says, “There were no campground closures, however there were some hikers in the area that were directed to a safe way out. They did not have to be rescued.”
He adds that the fire was very visible and responded to quickly.
There is no word yet on the cause, but it is under investigation.
Off-highway vehicles can also start wildfires, so make sure mufflers and spark arrestors are working properly, and that hotspots are free of debris.
A Fire Advisory notice remains in effect for the area as well.
Another fire north of Banff National Park, discovered on Friday, is listed as 552 hectares and out of control, as of Sunday afternoon. It was listed at 346 hectares this morning, and is located near Canmore and Blackrock Mountain. People are advised to stay away from the area.
Note: An earlier version of this story said the fire was east of Abraham Lake. The provincial fire information officer is updating the info Sunday afternoon to state that it is actually northwest of the lake.
