Fire permits

Posted on by

In the Forest Protection Area of Alberta, a fire permit is required for all types of burning, except for a cooking or warming fire.Please note that fire permits may not be issued as usual under a fire advisory.To request your free fire permit call your local Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Office.

Slave Lake/Red Earth/Peerless/Trout 780-849-7377

Wabasca 780-891-3860

High Prairie 780-523-6619

Fire permits help us to track what is burning on the landscape. If you’re burning without a fire permit or outside fire permit conditions, your fire is considered a wildfire. By getting a fire permit you help keep our firefighters free to fight real wildfires instead of responding to the smoke in your backyard.

Firefighters thank you for doing your part to prevent wildfires.

Fire Ban and OHV Restriction

Posted on by
As part of Alberta Wildfire’s Response Plan to COVID-19, A Fire Ban and OHV Restriction have been issued for the Forest Protection Area of Alberta effective April 15th at 2:00 pm.

These measures aim to reduce the number of human caused wildfires, as most if not all wildfires in the early spring are caused by human activity.

Reducing human caused wildfires helps keep our firefighting resources focused where they are most needed, especially when our firefighting resources may be challenged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please refer to AlbertaFireBans.ca for exact locations.

Fire Permits

All fire permits are suspended and no new fire permits will be issued.

Prohibited

  • All open fires including campfires in campgrounds, backcountry and random camping areas and backyard fire pits.
  • Charcoal briquettes, turkey fryers and tiki torches.
  • Fireworks and exploding targets.
  • The use of off-highway vehicles for recreational use on all public lands.

Allowed

  • Portable propane fire pits that are CSA approved or UL certified.
  • Gas or propane stoves and barbecues that are CSA approved or UL certified and are designed for cooking or heating.
  • Catalytic or infrared-style heaters.
  • OHVs for industrial use, agricultural use, and traditional use by Indigenous peoples, as well as use on private lands. 

What is an OHV?

  • An “off-highway vehicle” is a motorized vehicle designed to go beyond defined roadways, including but not limited to:
  • Quads;
  • Side by sides;
  • Dirt bikes;
  • 4×4 Jeeps;
  • Snowmobiles;
  • Pick-up trucks; or
  • Sport utility vehicles.

Exceptions

The OHV restriction does not apply to private land or agriculture, institutional (educational), commercial/ industrial, emergency response or Indigenous peoples who use OHV for traditional use.

Anyone found to be non-compliant of the fire ban may receive a violation ticket of $600 and non-compliant with the OHV restriction, a violation ticket of $1200.

Fire extinguishers

Posted on by

Purchase a fire extinguisher for your home and keep it handy in the event of a small fire. Make sure you know what to look for when buying a fire extinguisher for your home.

  • Ensure your extinguisher is labelled by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
  • The higher the number rating on the extinguisher, the more fire it puts out. It is important to make sure you can comfortably hold and operate the one you buy.
  • Have your extinguisher serviced and inspected regularly, and recharge it after use.
  • You should have an ABC class fire extinguisher which are dry chemical and will do for most fires you’re likely to have in your home

The ABCs, Ds, and Ks of Fire Extinguishers

Different types of fire extinguishers

A Class A fire extinguisher is used for ordinary combustibles, such as wood, paper, some plastics, and textiles. This class of fire requires the heat-absorbing effects of water or the coating effects of certain dry chemicals.

A Class B fire extinguisher is used for flammable liquid and gas fires such as oil, gasoline, etc. These fire extinguishers deprive the fire of oxygen and interrupt the fire chain by inhibiting the release of combustible vapors.

A Class C fire extinguisher is used on fires that involve live electrical equipment, which require the use of electrically non-conductive extinguishing agents. (Once the electrical equipment is de-energized, extinguishers for Class A or B fires may be used.)

A Class D fire extinguisher is used on combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium, sodium, etc., which require an extinguishing medium that does not react with the burning metal.

A Class K fire extinguisher is used on fires involving cooking media (fats, grease, and oils) in commercial cooking sites such as restaurants. These fire extinguishers work on the principle of saponification. Saponification takes place when alkaline mixtures, such as potassium acetate, potassium citrate, or potassium carbonate, are applied to burning cooking oil or fat. The alkaline mixture combined with the fatty acid creates a soapy foam on the surface that holds in the vapors and steam and extinguishes the fire.

Source: https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2004/08/The-ABCs-Ds-and-Ks-of-Fire-Extinguishers.aspx?Page=1

Volunteer Firefighter’s Green Flashing Light

Posted on by

Volunteer firefighters must first travel from their homes to the fire hall, so if traffic yields to them it can speed up response times.

Our volunteer firefighters can place flashing green lights in their vehicles if they are responding to an emergency call. The lights are meant to signal to other motorists that they are travelling to an emergency.

The law in Alberta does not require motorists to pull over for flashing green lights; it is voluntary. While only firefighters can use flashing green lights, they do not have any additional privileges under the Highway Safety Act.

However the courtesy of pulling over when you see a firefighter’s green lights can have a big impact on response time of emergency services in the community

If you see a vehicle with the tell-tale flashing green light activated, you now know it’s one of us, on our way to help one of our neighbours. Remember, the home we’re rushing to save or life we’re going to rescue could be yours, or that of a close friend’s. Please let us by!