Update #5 – May 14, 2024 – 11:00 am

Intense firefighting operations continued through yesterday, with night vision-equipped helicopters concentrating on the SW side of the fire with a significant reduction in active hotspots compared to the night before.

Yesterday, firefighters experienced challenging fire behaviour with high winds; at times, the fire was very active, with visible smoke columns and flames.

Today, additional firefighting resources will be arriving to help cold trail and extinguish hotspots and work to extinguish the fire.

(Cold Trailing: A method of determining whether or not a fire is still burning, involving careful inspection and feeling with the hand or by use of a hand-held infrared scanner to detect any heat source.)

A fire ban remains in effect throughout the Grande Prairie Forest Area, Greenview’s Non-Forest Protection Area and portions of the Edson Forest Area for the upcoming May long weekend. Current fire behaviour is extreme, driven by southeast winds expected to gust up to 40 kilometres per hour. For current Fire Advisory and Ban Information throughout Greenview, please visit https://mdgreenview.ab.ca/fire-bans/

Residents are advised to monitor any old burn piles. If you detect heat from a pile, it is likely still burning and requires attention.

We urge residents and citizens to avoid the area around ANY active wildfires. There have been reports of drones interfering with firefighting efforts this morning. It is illegal to fly drones near an active wildfire as it poses serious risks to both ground and aerial firefighting teams. During firefighting operations, the restricted airspace around a wildfire includes a radius of approximately 9.26 km (5 nautical miles) and up to an altitude of 3,000 feet above ground level.

Please stay safe and adhere to all fire safety regulations during this critical time.

The next update will be provided at approximately 11:00 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, unless an emergency update is required.

Sign up for emergency alerts and notifications from local authorities to receive timely updates about potential hazards or emergencies in your area. Knowledge is key to staying safe and prepared. Get Greenview’s Voyent Alert: https://mdgreenview.ab.ca/voyent-alert-for-greenview…/

For information regarding the response on the west side of the Big Smoky, please follow the County of Grande Prairie website www.countygp.ab.ca.