Alberta is currently experiencing significant smoke conditions due to ongoing wildfires within the province and nearby regions.

There are two wildfires of note in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta.

Jasper Wildfire Complex

ANP002 (formally ANP002 and ANP003) is classified as out of control. Parks Canada estimates its size to be approximately 33,400 ha.

The priority remains the containment of the northwest perimeter of the fire that presents a risk to the townsite, which is 99 per cent contained or controlled. The Utopia Wildfire in the Miette area is extinguished.

Cooler temperature and some precipitation is expected this week which will allow crews to make progress in minimizing fire activity in the park. If conditions allow, fire crews will conduct ignition operations along the Jasper SkyTram Road to bring the wildfire down from the steep slope it is burning on to an area that is safe for fighters to work on. Specific criteria must be met for these operations to take place.

Crews are demobilizing equipment from around town and moving this equipment to the active fire burning south along Maligne Road, the southwest end of the fire in the Whirlpool areas and in key areas of the Athabasca Valley.

Jasper National Park is closed. See Wildfire status — Jasper Wildfire Complex for more information.

An evacuation order has been issued for the Municipality of Jasper. See Municipality of Jasper Re-entry Criteria for information about re-entry.

See 511 Alberta for information on highway closures.

HCX001 - Semo Complex 

Wildfires HWF053, HWF061, HWF081, HWF083, HWF136 and HWF141 are part of the Semo Complex.

HWF061 is classified as out of control and is 107,267 ha in size. It is located 19 km northeast of John D'or Prairie, 15 km north of Fox Lake and 1.9 km north of Highway 58. It was caused by lightning.

HWF136 is classified as out of control and is 6,352 ha in size. It is located north of highway 58 and approximately 13 km northwest of Garden River.

Other fires in this complex are within or near the Caribou Mountain Wildland Provincial Park. These fires are being held and are being monitored for growth and activity. 

Helicopters are not flying today due to poor visibility caused by smoke. Crews are accessing the fire by ground transportation. Firefighters and heavy equipment are working along the southern perimeter of HWF061 to extinguish hotspots and reduce spread when smoke allows. Heavy equipment is also on the west side moving to the south, as operators extend the containment line. Operators are also making progress around the spot fire south of the HWF061 and north of highway 58, working on the northwest perimeter to tie it into the main fire to the north. The north and northeast sides of HWF061 are seeing fire activity, which we continue to monitor (there are no concerns in these areas at this time).

Work on the guard on the northeast perimeter of HWF136 fire continues as equipment heads west to build containment lines. Crews and heavy equipment are working to tie in small excursions with natural fuel breaks on the northwest corner. Very few hotspots were found on the south side of HWF136.

There are currently 748 firefighters and support personnel, 24 helicopters and 129 pieces of heavy equipment working on the Semo Wildfire Complex.

See the High Level Forest Area update for more information. 

Smoke Forecast:

The smoke is expected to linger in Alberta over the next few days, particularly in central and northern regions. Some improvement in air quality might be seen by Thursday, but this will depend on changes in fire activity and weather conditions. The smoke forecast indicates that areas with the highest concentration of particulate matter are likely to experience ongoing air quality issues.

For real-time updates and detailed forecasts on smoke movement, residents can refer to FireSmoke.ca, which provides interactive maps and predictions for smoke dispersion over the next few days

For more information on the air quality impact in specific regions like Edmonton and the overall wildfire situation, you can refer to local news updates such as those from CFWE Radio and official government resources like Alberta Wildfire and FireSmoke.ca.