Not out of the woods yet: Wildfire season could still flare up despite heavy rainfall

A shoulder patch of the Alberta Wildfire service is pictured in Fort McMurray, Alta., Thursday, May 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

While many parts of Alberta have seen record levels of rainfall in June, wildfire officials are still preparing for flare ups as the season goes on.

“It doesn’t take long for the wildfire danger to increase,” said Melissa Story, a provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire. “We have seen a lot of moisture on the ground (and) it is going to help with what we call ‘green up.’”

The term “green up” is used when the leaves and grass turn green, meaning they’re less susceptible to catching fire and less likely to carry a fast-moving wildfire.

“We don’t see quite the intense fire behaviour that we typically would if there were more drying conditions on the landscape,” said Story. “That said, fires can still start, they just may not spread as quickly.”

Most wildfires in the province are located in northern Alberta, particularly in the High Level area which saw recent thunderstorms spark several fires.

“Typically, when we see a lightning storm come through an area like that, and a bunch of new starts all in the same place, it’s pretty safe to say that it is due to lightning activity,” said Story. “Those are wildfires that can smoulder from the lightning activity and then resurface a couple days later when we see the conditions.”

Story said the northern region of Alberta is still at a high to very high risk of wildfires and advises those spending time outdoors, regardless of precipitation levels, to take proper precautions.

“Make sure that you’re putting out campfires … If you’re operating off-highway vehicles, it’s important to stop often and check for hot spots,” said Story. “You can get a buildup of debris in the manifold and in the engine and it can smoulder, drop to the ground, and create an inadvertent wildfire.

“We really want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to prevent those fires.”

Wildfire season in Alberta starts March 1 and runs until Oct. 31. Fires can occur year-round, however, even in the winter.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg