Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Fire

Any if you guys close to the Alberta/British Columbia fire. It sounds like it’s bad.

It's very bad Bugger, I live in Edmonton from my house I cannot even see the city skyline, when it is very visible on any normal day, the smoke is very thick, and the sun is blotted out. Really bad!

I live over a thousand miles away and the smoke some days is as thick as fog. I’m hoping you guy’s pull through this!

It's pretty bad in Lakewood Co this morning

I heard that smoke from Alberta and British Columbia is hitting you guys too, really sucks hey? It's amazing how the temperature drops big time. Can't even imagine what a Nuclear Winter would be like.

Last night I heard on the news here that the USA has sent a lot of troops to Alberta to help fight these fires, greatly appreciated by this Canadian!

I took this picture of the Sun yesterday on an otherwise bluebird day. You can look directly at the Sun and this is when the smoke abated quite a bit.

The smoke has been here on the East Coast for the past week or so. Our morning sun rises have been pretty colorful.

Just got back from a 2 week evacuation of our town..Drayton Valley. They managed to keep the fire out of town, it went around the south side of town. Only 5 houses lost and many outbuildings in the farmland around town. Replacing about 600-700 power poles on rural roads. Big fires west of town now blowing mostly to the northwest, some of them are 40 -50 mile long burn paths and several miles wide. Rather smokey to say the least. We need the wind to die down and desperatly need rain. It was started by a lawn mower southeast of town 3 weeks ago. Fire was extinguished before it went anywhere... so they thought but never sent anyone to monitor it after, a week later the winds came up, must have been a hot spot, it reignited and took off and turned into a monster. Had they checked on it it would have never happened.

Happy for you that your home was not affected!

bushrat;
Morning sir, thanks for the update.

As fire is a bit of an annual thing anymore with us in rural southern BC, it's something we can speak to with a wee bit too much familiarity.

I'm glad to read your place is okay and there wasn't more damage than that.

Strangely enough, we had a really heavy snow pack, a cool spring so far and then over an inch of rain in the past couple days which were accompanied by lightning, but it seems enough rain kept any fires down to a minimum.

Thanks again and here's hoping the weather we have wanders over your way.

Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne, I evacuated to Lillooet BC where I used to live and stayed with friends. I wish we had gotten the rain that they got, creeks and highways blown out with the water. Unusual for there.

Also forgot to mention that our rifle range got partially burned out Pistol range survived along with the prone belly shooters steel shack, but lost the rifle range pole shack shelter and 3 sea cans burned up with all our maintenance equipment and such in them. Concrete benches still standing. Our electrical room sea can was unscathed so not all is lost, I expected more damage but thankful and fortunate with what little we did lose. Will be doing some volunteering until we get it back up and running.

bushrat;
Thanks for the reply and update.

Lillooet is pretty country with a lot of history.

The construction company that my wife has been with for 34 years built Ft. Berens Estate Winery so we dropped in for a taste and to take a look at it when we wandered through last time, but that might be 5 years ago now.

I'm sorry to hear about the gun range, but as you say between some volunteer work and fund raising hopefully it'll be up and running 100% sooner than later.

Fire is a mixed blessing for sure in that we've found it great for the wildlife for the most part, but not much fun when one is in the middle of it.

We had 20 minutes to get out with the Vaseux Fire in '03 and then were on alert with the Thomas Creek Fire in '21. The Nk'Mp Fire was going on at the same time and burned up the other side of what the Thomas Fire didn't get on the mountain behind the house - well nearly so.

Nonetheless I was up picking morels on Friday and was amazed at how much growth has come in already in the second spring.

Thanks again and all the best to you all as you put life back together.

Dwayne

We had the smoke, and haze way down here in Iowa the other day.

Bugger: Yes the smoke was so thick here in SW Montana that I could not see a measured .7 mile one morning!
I hope you folks in Canada can get things under control.
I am amazed that so many fires can get going in mid-May???
I have been here for 26 years now and this is the first smoke health alerts I have seen issued in May!
Luckily (after 8 days of smokieness) the wind has turned around today and the winds are now blowing towards the north - much clearer (healthier) air here today.
One of my out of state Hunters who left here yesterday morning was greatly (painfully) affected by the bad smoke.
Again I hope the Canucks" can get those fires contained - a few days ago our news reported 87 Canadian fires, 24 of which were zero percent contained.
Yikes on that.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Here on the coast, we got some light rain last night. That cool damp air should be in Alberta in a day or two.

I hope so, the winds are picking up here and blowing really hard, gonna get worse!

Here is a video taken May 5th outside Edson --- I imagine much the same played out for areas around Drayton Valley, Swan Hill, Fox Creek and other areas.

It will be good hunting in a few years.

lots pf fresh growth, that's for sure

Watching with interest as I’m scheduled to be up there this fall hunting moose.

If you are booked in an area that was burned out this summer, it will be tough sledding!

Here is a good site for checking where the active fires are. Scroll in to see the detailed locations.


https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/usfs/map/#d:24hrs;@-114.5,53.6,10z

Hopefully the area you are planning to hunt wasn't hit too hard.

It’s near ground zero now. My outfitter is dancing around the flames right now with his bear hunters. They’re getting some, but it’s “day to day”.

Thanks. I’ve been following it pretty close. I guess it’s in the hands of God and the firefighters. Unless one of you guys does a good rain dance. 🫤

Some parts of the province are getting a good soaking right now. More is needed all the way across

https://www.windy.com/-Rain-thunder-rain?rain,53.506,-113.428,5

Yeah I wasn't sure if your hunt was guided, but he will know where to hunt and what to do. Some area's may only be singed, while others burned right up, its still early in the year too.

I dont know the area, but around here a great place to hunt in the fall is the edge of a burn, even if it burned into august. The game likes to come out into the burn for the new growth which comes up pretty much right away...and you can see along way after a fire lol.

We have had no choice but to hunt near burns as we have had 3 big ones over the last 30 years.

Keep us posted on your hunt.

My house was about 10km from the East edge of the Stoddart fire.

Never got any closer or farther after the first 24 hours due to the wind shifts kept blowing it back on itself. CO and SAR guy came to the house a week ago to notify me of the Evacuation Order and that I should leave, but the CO acknowledged that the air quality was better in my yard than in town.
Fort St John was put on evacuation alert, and half the town lost their [bleep] minds. Fuel line up hours long, people filling tanks/tidy tanks/every [bleep] jerry can they owned, only to post them for sale an hour later for $100/jerry. People doing 120kph running lights and stop signs in the middle of town holding down their horn and flashing their lights.
Fear is apparently quite the motivator for some folks.


20 hours of driving rain yesterday knocked it down to nothing.

KodiakHntr;
Good afternoon my cyber friend, it's been too long and I hope that the interim time has been good to you and yours.

Thanks for the positive report, I'm glad to read it.

We were wondering/hoping that some of the rain we were getting moved east.

While there was some lightning down here, it rained nearly a couple inches in that many days, so no new fires from it here.

Anyways I'm glad to hear you all got some wet weather and it cooled down some.

All the best to you all.

Dwayne

Clear skies here in Edmonton, the first time in many days! It's amazing how a blue sky and a brilliant Sun makes you so very happy!

I am surprised since the wind is blowing in an Easterly direction.

People will panic under the stress, after a couple fires you settle down abit lol, the last fire here was 200,000 acres and it was about 4-5km away from us when it turned and went a different direction..

Trouble with leaving your home is the looters move in, thats what happens around here, if they can get to your house using trails and backroads, they will.
My buddy and friends chased a couple through the bush, and the mountie's finally got them several km away. The two were grateful to see the cops because my buddy was kinda big and really pizzed off.

I never left the 3 times we have been ordered too, now I am prepared with fuel for the generator's, also have a plan A and B for when it happens.

Glad to hear of the rain and hopefully put people at ease.

It has made for some really striking sunsets here in east-central Iowa. (Would gladly forgo them to cancel the fire.)

You are fortunate that you just get the haze, breathing it really sucks and I feel sorry for people with poor AC Systems with average filters because your home stinks like smoke as well. Not to forget the significant temp drop during the summer!

I think about all the birds and animals that die in the fires as well, it's horrible.

I just drove through Alberta and BC. Smoke was terrible. I detoured to Jasper to avoid a road closure. I literally drove through fire in spots. Ft. Nelson had no power, the whole town was dead. No fuel. Power poles burned down all along route. I was glad to get to the Yukon and clear skies

Bugger as an update for you we have been getting steady rain showers -- a little each day with some northern areas getting heavy amounts. Fire and ATV bans have been lifted in many areas.

Fort Chip North of us has been ordered to evacuate.
That means they have to get put by either biat or plane, thete is no all weather road from there to here.
The River Rats are gathering extra boat trailers and storage areas for the residents. Many are staying in Ft. McKay as well, and extra groceries, clothes, etc . Are getting donated.
I personally know all too well how devastating a wildfire can be.
Cat

Let’s hope for the best for all concerned.

For those who do not know, Fort Chipewyan is about 250 km north of Fort Mac or about 700 km north of Cold Lake.

There are some large wildfires in the Atlantic Provinces as well, things are bad this summer!
Cat

It is our turn now. Smoke, haze and gusting winds made my trip to the range today an adventure. Things are much worse for those directly affected by the fires.

https://www.orilliamatters.com/loca...impacting-air-quality-in-orillia-7097657

Listening to the fire reports from all around.....how are these fires starting?


They continue to bring people from all around the world to fight fires. Here in BC, they told us we weren't qualified to fight fires anymore, even though we had been working in the bush and fighting fires all our lives. I was there when they told us we weren't putting out fires anymore, you could here a pin drop.

The last fire here was 200,000 acres, the local loggers were going to put it out, after all they do have 10 million in equipment nearby, they were threatened with a 100,000 fine if they suppressed the fire in its infancy....nearly a brawl ensued.
In hind sight, the fine would of been doable considering the fire wiped out 4 generations of future employment. The local logging operators have been here logging and managing the forest in the community for 100 years.

Then the government started 3 backburns which went the wrong way and burnt about 50 houses down, then gave everyone shyte when they wouldn't evacuate and stayed to protect their homes, because nobody else would. The forestry in BC is the most mismanaged entity in this Province, if other Provinces are anywhere close to ours, you are not in good hands.

We just had a fire in the hood here, started at midnight, the forestry showed at 7am, the locals had it under control by the time morning came, truly bizarre.

Our little town has 100's of millions of oil patch and logging equipment ready to go at any time, hundreds of tandem tank trucks, untold miles of hoses, buldozers, excavators, pumps, helicopters with buckets, you name it. The fire was small when it started, businesses were preparing and sending equipment long before fire crews showed up. Gov't fire bosses showed up and told them all to stand down or they would be fined heavily. The fire could have been contained easily with local responders. Anyway the fire was allowed to escape the quarter section it had initially started during the lag time between when the locals were asked to leave and the gov't fire fighters showed up, was allowed to jump a township road, then jumped a highway, then jumped another highway, then jumped the North Saskatchewan river then up a hill, jumped another major highway and was licking on the edges of our town itself before the gov't allowed some local businesses to use their equipment to keep the fire stopped at the local ring road around town. Meanwhile local businesses and contractors spread out around the area and saved many houses and properties that would have been lost if not for them.

Thing is that fire was started a week previous, didn't burn more than an acre, was called 'extinguished' then left unmonitored by officials, despite complaints for a week while it smoked away until heavy winds fired it back up. It was a needless fire that shouldn't have endangerd our town or caused a two week evacuation of the town and surrounding farm and timberlands. Thanks mostly to local untrained 'redneck supposedly ignorant' oil patch and logging company contractors who said screw the BS orders, basically pulled rank on the gov't fire bosses after they could no longer stand the inaction nonsense. Only 5 residences burned and the town itself was untouched. Nobody was fined or had their fingers slapped. Funny how there was nothing on the media about this massive screw up by gov't.

I hear you bushrat.
Now they want the Federal government to become more involved in fire fighting...dumb fuggs, that is the last thing we need.

Its all about control....and special interest....book it.

Was actually hazy here today, from the fires according to local news.

Just can't imagine the amount of timer that has to be burning for the smoke
to hit South Central Pa.

Guess I misunderstood the news, our smoke isn't from the West,
it's coming from Ontario and Frogland.

Last year there was a person charged with arson for quite a number of the fires in BC Alberta has the same problem.

https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/local-...er-admitting-to-setting-32-fires-5052191

Well, three pages in...we to the south are waiting...how big are your fires? (don't be trash talkin' no damn killomeaters an' hectares an' all that French fried Frog talk metrick stuff)

This should give you a picture. I am in central Ontario near Orillia. We had a haze, and the smoke in the air made things difficult for some people.

Hundreds of Fires Are Out of Control in Canada’s Worst-Ever Season
Mathieu Dion, Bloomberg News



A fixed wing waterbomber drops water onto the Cameron Bluffs wildfire near Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Canada is on track to see its worst-ever wildfire season in recorded history if the rate of land burned continues at the same pace. Photographer: James MacDonald/Bloomberg , Bloomberg
---

(Bloomberg) -- Wildfires continue to burn large tracts of forest in Canada, with little sign weather will provide much help to firefighters who are battling the blazes that are sending smoke over New York and other major cities.

More than 400 forest fires are still active across the country, and most of them are out of control. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is living through its “worst wildfire season” in recorded history during a briefing with journalists in Ottawa on Wednesday.

NYC Will Choke on Canada Wildfire Smoke for Days: Weather Watch

Wildfires are poised to burn more land than ever in Canada, with over 3.8 million hectares (9.4 million acres) scorched so far, according to the Canadian National Fire Database. That’s about double the size of New Jersey.

Ottawa, Canada’s capital, was shrouded in smoke again, and its air quality health index was rated 10+ or “very high risk” by the country’s weather agency. Sports events were canceled and officials warned older people and young children to avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Flights were still leaving Ottawa’s airport, but with a number of delays.

The rest here - https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/hundred...-in-canada-s-worst-ever-season-1.1930180

So far this year just in Alberta about 1.2 million hectacres or just shy of 3 million acres has burned. It's early in the season yet.

I see Trudeau and friends are using the fires to hype climate change, justifying their carbon tax, the media is really on this story. Carbon tax is everything to the Liberals.
Has someone been lighting these fires wtf??

Fires don't just start on their own. Not sure about the rest of Canada lol, but this land was formed by fire, and has burned for thousands of years, about every 100 years a fire occurred.

So now with 100 years of fire suppression, the forest is mature and bug infested, that is what happens and is a natural cycle. That and the fact there isn't anyone to put them out, because they chased us all out of the bush.
Today, where I live the sky is clear and sunny.

Trudeau has been taking serious heat over his inflationary budget, rising interest rates and afforability (housing, food and fuel). The wildfires are just what he needs to try and divert the message from something he is the cause of to a different issue. He will exploit this to his own benefit. Suprised he has not come out dressed in a firefighters uniform to show solidarity.

Back on the fire topic we have another one going in Alberta with Higway 16 out by Edson closed again. Very hot, dry and very windy here --- perfect conditions for fire to spread quickly.

Hugh, the fire is not a new one. It is the same fire that has been burning for over a month now, it originated from 2 seperate fires that have grown together into one. Both started south west of the Brazeau Resevoir and the second one started on the O'chiese reserve further south and east. It has finally made its way northwest to HWY 16 and is licking on the doorstep of Edson. This fire has been out of control the entire time. Hopefully they can proctect Edson but I'm not so sure, at least the wind has died down today. The burnt area is about 60 miles long by about 25 miles wide and growing in a north west direction straight toward Edson. Yesterday with the wind it increased about 73,000 hectacres or about 180,000 acres.

Bushrat - thanks for the detail. I was not aware of the two becoming one big fire. The news we get on this is not consistent.

Just a note of interest, not a one-up or anything. Air quality is based on a 1 - 10 scale. A few years back, they "estimated" (equipment failed to produce meaningful data) our air quality at 47 . I tried to take pictures with a digital SLR, but there wasn't enough light (at 0930), shutter stayed open until I just gave up trying. I'll post some pics in the gallery from the day before .

ParsnipPappy;
Welcome to the fire from the sunny south Okanagan, I hope that you and yours are having a decent weekend and that there's no threat of a 47 air quality day anytime soon.

We had a really ugly time in Penticton in around 2018 I believe it was. It was August and when the valley heats up its rather like putting a lid on a pot somehow.

Anyways there was a couple days where we beat the worst city in India for air quality supposedly.

As you say, it's not a one up thing, but my goodness it was tough to see half a block that time.

Funny the Vaseux Fire in '03 which we got evacuated for and was at the same time as the one that burned all those houses in Kelowna didn't have that bad an air quality. Neither did the big fires here Thomas Creek Fire and N'Mip Fire which ran at the same time in '21 on the mountain behind the house.

Perfect conditions for a bad situation I suppose? Not sure.

All the best to you all.

Dwayne

Here is the government webpage that people can check out to better understand weather announcements and your post.

https://www.canada.ca/en/environmen...health-index/understanding-messages.html

Yes, Dwayne. That was a bad stretch for a few years. My SIL lived in Kelowna then. Fire is a strange critter. Five or six houses in her cul-de-sac got hit, but four or five (including hers) were missed. Her siding was melted from the heat. But the bombers did put a nice coat of pink over it. Everyone got out, so all was good in the end. You take care of yours, stay safe, stay healthy.