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no danger to communities at this time

Wildfire burning 80 km south of Rocky, west of Sundre

May 14, 2026 | 6:01 PM

A new wildfire is burning an hour south of Rocky Mountain House, and about 45 minutes west of Sundre.

More precisely, the wildfire is located 2.5 km west of the junction of Hwy 40 (Forestry Trunk Road) and Hwy 584.

RWF036 is classified as out of control and is estimated at 200 hectares as of 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 14. Initial assessment was at 1 p.m. on May 14, and it is receiving a full response.

Image of smoke from Innisfail area, which may be of fire RWF036.
Image of smoke from Innisfail area, which may be of fire RWF036. (Image Credit: Patrick Teskey)

Strong winds on Thursday are increasing wildfire activity, and smoke is visible from nearby communities; however, there is no risk to communities at this time.

Per the Government of Alberta, in a media release:

“Individuals in the immediate area have been asked to leave to allow firefighting operations to proceed safely and effectively. Firefighters are on scene being supported by air tankers, helicopters, and heavy equipment. 

“Due to smoke in the area, parts of Highway 40 (Forestry Trunk Road) are now closed, see 511Alberta for full details. 

“Since January 1, 2026, the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area has responded to 36 wildfires.

“For up-to-date information on wildfire locations, status, size and statistics, visit the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard. By adjusting settings and layers on this site, you can also view Forest Area boundaries, active fire advisories, restrictions and bans, wildfire danger ratings and much more.”

With this news, the wildfire danger for the region is once again listed as ‘High.’ It had been downgraded to ‘Low’ for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area earlier this week.

For the latest on Alberta wildfires, visit our wildfires page.