What happens during a Red Flag Warning? Alberta Wildfire explains
The Red Flag Warning has been sounded by Alberta Wildfire.
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It means conditions are ripe for the ignition and fast-moving spread of wildfires. The forest-fire experts use a sliding scale, first adopted by the U.S. National Weather Service, to determine how dry the conditions are in the forest areas, and how the winds could help fan the flames if that dry tinder is ignited. Basically, a score is calculated based on wind speed, heat and the lack of humidity.
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A sample document provided by Alberta Wildfire shows a hypothetical watch being created when the maximum daily temperatures is expected to hit 33 Celsius, the humidity is at 25 per cent or lower, and wind speeds are 10 km/h. Basically, when it is punishingly hot and dry, it doesn't take a lot of wind to trigger an alert.
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And, just like weather alerts, 'watch' is one level below 'warning.' Alberta Wildfire upgraded the Red Flag watch to a warning as of 11 a.m. Thursday in the Red Earth Creek, Swan Hills, Fort Chipewyan and Fort McMurray zones, all north of Edmonton.
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'We establish the watch based on the weather reports we receive every day,' said Derrick Forsythe, Wildfire Alberta's information officer. 'Of course, we can't tell how long it will last because it's weather dependent. When it comes to weather forecasting, when it's anything beyond three to five days, accuracy falls off a cliff.'
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As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Environment Canada had heat warnings in place for almost all of Alberta. Only the mountain parks and the southernmost reaches of the province were exempt. The warnings covered all of the northern boreal forest regions.
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Not as much as you might think. The government department has jurisdiction over the 'green' zones of the province, which basically cover the northern boreal forest and the wilds of the eastern Rocky Mountain slopes. In most Alberta counties, towns and cities, all it can do is provide advice. Alberta Wildfire has no power to issue a fire ban in Edmonton or Calgary.
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'Municipalities are the ones who put restrictions in place,' said Forsythe. 'We can give them assistance.'
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