Have important wildfire information at your fingertips whether you’re at home or on the go.
“Alberta Wildfire has launched new web applications that make it easier than ever to get important wildfire information,” says Josee St-Onge, provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire.
Wildfire dashboard
You can check out the new interactive wildfire dashboard for up-to-date wildfire information at the click of a button.
“The dashboard gives you the important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, sizes, locations, suspected causes and more,” says St-Onge.
Fire permit portal
Albertans living or recreating in the Forest Protection Area of the province can now request a free fire permit using the new convenient online portal, and take an active role in preventing human-caused wildfires.
Fire permits are required for burning activities (other than campfires) during wildfire season, and help focus firefighting resources where they are needed most.
Each permit is unique and outlines the restrictions and conditions for your burn including location, wind speed, time and date of burn and any suppression tools required.
“Permits help ensure that when smoke or a fire is reported, we can look into our system and check whether this is a wildfire or a permitted burn being done,” says St-Onge. “You may be fined if you fail to burn within your permit conditions or are burning without a permit. If your actions cause a wildfire you could be held responsible for the costs of extinguishing it.”
You can still request a fire permit from your local forest area office. Anyone living outside of the Forest Protection Area should contact their local municipality for information on fire permits required in their area.
Alberta Wildfire app
The wildfire dashboard and the fire permit portal join the Alberta Wildfire app as key technologies that put critical wildfire information right into the hands of Albertans. Since being launched last spring, the app has already been downloaded onto more than 45,000 devices. You can download the app onto your Apple or Android device today.
Source : alberta.ca