Now Albertans can access the wildfire dashboard and fire permit portal that will complement the Alberta Wildfire app.

All the technologies will provide critical wildfire prevention and management information into the hands of Albertans.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Economic Development, Nate Horner says, “Albertans want to be in the know during wildfire season and do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires. Last year, 67 per cent of wildfires were caused by humans. These new tools will empower residents and visitors with the information they need to make smart decisions during wildfire season.”

The new wildfire dashboard will provide up-to-date information as well as interactive tool displays. Important statistics on the number of active wildfires in the province, location, size, and suspected cause of the fires will be provided.

The fire permit portal will provide those living or recreating in the Forest Protection Area of the province the opportunity to request a free fire permit.

Such permits are required for burning activities that don’t include campfires during the wildfire season. The purpose of the permits is to help wildfire officials to identify if reported smoke is a wildfire or a permitted burn.

People will still be able to request fire permits by calling their local forest area office.

The Wildfire App was launched in the spring of 2021. To date, the app has been downloaded to more than 45,000 devices.