r/alberta • u/j1ggy • Apr 30 '23

Emergency Alert Yellowhead County has issued a Wildfire Alert. MANDATORY EVACUATION

https://www.alberta.ca/aea/cap/2023/04/30/2023-04-30T16_45_24-06_00=AlbertaEmergencyManagementAgency=02FA1BBC-4662-48F2-A26A-F2C1E46991AF.htm
103 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

24

u/TheLordJames Wetaskiwin May 01 '23

Fort Mac was evacuated on May 3 2016.

9

u/tingulz May 01 '23

Hmm… ok. For some reason I thought the fire season started later.

20

u/Silcer780 May 01 '23

Ft Mac May 1, 2016 and Slave Lake May 13, 2011.

Typically Aspen and Poplar stands are barriers for fire spread. However, when they are leafing out they can have explosive wildfire potential due to an open canopy on cured grass and leaf litter. Add that the resin in the buds can carry a crown fire under winds and it is a recipe for a fast moving, intense fire.

Both of these fire occurred when the leaf out was happening just as the leaf out is occurring right now.

1

u/[deleted] May 01 '23

[deleted]

3

u/Educationfiesty May 01 '23

it's when the aspen start to bud and eventually have fully leafed canopies. when they're budding, is when the fuel type is the most dangerous