Alberta Wildfire has announced that the Chuckegg Creek wildfire has been declared extinguished as of Oct. 13. 

The fire was started May 12, 2019 by lightning and burned 334,772 hectares, caused the loss of structures and numerous evacuations. 

Crews did a lot of work over the 2019-2020 winter, extinguishing hotspots and creating access for heavy equipment to work. Fire-damaged trees were salvaged for use as lumber at local High Level Forest area mills.  

Putting out the hot spots was challenging because of the high component of peat moss soil, which allows fires to smoulder. It lacks moisture and contains woody debris which can burn underneath the snow. 

Work continued in summer 2020, with hotspots to extinguish and lookout observers on high alert. They also use aerial infrared scanning to find sources of relief. Firefighters were helped by the wet summer and the drought conditions in the area were brought back to normal. 

“Extinguishing a wildfire of that size and strength is not an easy task, but it is an example of how cooperation between emergency responders and partners can lead to a successful conclusion.” 

Since March 1, 2020, the High Level Forest Area has recorded 52 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta that have burned a total of 132.71 hectares.