Wildfire live updates: Fort Chipewyan residents charged after setting off fireworks amid fire bans across Alberta

Calgary Herald

09-06-2025

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A fire ban is now in place in the entire Forest Protection Area of Alberta to prevent new fires and allow resources to be available for active fires. The ban was previously in place for the northern and central parts of the protection area but has since been expanded due to the growing wildfire threat.
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Campfires are not allowed on public or private land, including campgrounds and backyards. Propane fire pits are still allowed.
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Rocky View County also issued a fire ban across its entire jurisdiction, it said in a news release issued Friday afternoon.
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'All burning and fireworks permits are suspended, and burning is banned,' the county said, with limited exceptions for indoor household fireplaces; properly attended camp stoves; charcoal briquette, propane, or natural gas barbecues; wood pellet grills; propane and natural gas fire pit; and oil well flaring with proper county registration.
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Fire bans are a great way to manage and prevent human-caused wildfires, said Story. Fire bans allow crews to focus on the current wildfire situation and respond to active out-of-control wildfires and not use resources to put out abandoned campfires.
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'We all have a role to play in preventing wildfires here in the province,' said Story.
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'Many if not virtually all of the fires that we're dealing with in Saskatchewan, although not intentional, are human-caused,' Moe said.
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With below-normal snowpacks during the winter and predicted summer-time drought conditions hitting various parts of Canada, the wildfire season could be a difficult one. Already, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency to help protect people from raging flames and significant evacuations of northern communities in both provinces have seen thousands of people forced to flee their homes.
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'This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans' living memory and this will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government,' says Manitoba premier Wab Kinew. Already, two people have died in wildfires in that province.
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'Wildland fire activity is significant within one or more jurisdictions,' CIFFC says. 'Firefighters and equipment in every jurisdiction is put to use, and international help has been requested.'
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In Alberta, go to alberta.ca/wildfire-status. That's where you'll find a wildfire map, dashboard of incidents and forest area updates.
In British Columbia, the daily wildfire update is at wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca/map.
In Saskatchewan, the active wildifre situation map can be found here and reports on bans along with fire bulletins are here.
In Manitoba, wildfire information, reports and updates are here.