Fire Protection
Fire Protection
The County of Northern Lights provides three levels of fire protection services
- joint agreements with neighbouring municipalities
- volunteer departments with halls and fire trucks
- fire sheds holding basic transportable firefighting equipment.
The County of Northern Lights participates in the Peace Region Mutual Aid Agreement along with Northern Sunrise County, MDs of Smoky River and Peace, the Towns of Peace River, Grimshaw, and the Village of Berwyn. This agreement provides for reciprocal support from all participants in the event that one party does not have adequate resources to deal with an emergency.
The Town of High Level, the Town of Manning and the County of Northern Lights also have a mutual aid agreement for the area north of the Town of Manning to Keg River.
Additionally, the County receives fire protection and motor vehicle rescue services, under the agreement, from the Town of Manning for services from North of Dixonville to Keg River. We also have a partnership agreement with the Town of Peace River, which provides Regional Fire Chief Services and full fire and rescue services for the area from the south boundary to Silver Creek Road north of Dixonville.
The County provides fire protection services in Clear Hills County to a small area West of Dixonville, which is not accessible via the Clear Hills side. Under this agreement, the County volunteer department in Dixonville, with backup from the Town of Peace River, provides fire protection services in the area as required.
For additional information on County Fire Services, Contact our Regional Fire Chiefs:
Tim Harris, Southern portion of the County (Township Road 880 and South) at 780-624-2993
Larry Brolly, Northern portion of the County (Township Road 880 and North) at 780-836-5643
Fire Operations/Location Details
Rural Fire Sheds for basic initial fire arrest is located in Hawk Hills, Reinwood, Breaking Point, Hotchkiss, Keg River and Carcajou. These sheds house fire trailers with basic firefighting equipment towable behind a pickup truck.
Volunteer Fire Departments, each equipped with pumpers, tankers and rapid response vehicles, are located in Weberville and Dixonville.
Fire Ban Rules and Information
For current fire bans, log on to https://albertafirebans.ca/ and follow the prompts. This website will allow Albertans to get fire ban updates in Provincial and Federal Parks, Municipalities and the Forest Reserve.
When an area is under a fire ban, charcoal briquettes, fire logs, fireworks, and open campfires are forbidden and/or must be immediately extinguished.
The only exceptions are fires that are
- contained in cooking and heating appliances fuelled by fluids or gases,
- fires contained in fire facilities in designated camping and recreation areas,
- and fires contained in industrial facilities or on industrial sites approved by a Forest Officer.
Fire Permits - Forest Protection Areas
The Fire Season starts on March 1st.
Other than a campfire, any open fire in the Forest Protection Area must have a permit. To obtain a permit within the Forest Protection Area, contact your local Alberta Agriculture and Forestry office by calling 310-0000 or request a permit online. If you are outside the Forest Protection Area, contact the Regional Fire Chief. If you are unsure of your intended burn location, contact the regional fire chief to confirm your location and permit process.
Fire permits are free and issued for a specific period of time. Permits may be cancelled before the permit expiry date if conditions relating to fire hazards indicate such cancellation is necessary. Fire permits contain conditions that must be strictly followed. Under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act, you may be held responsible for fire suppression costs or any penalties resulting from burning without a permit or failing to comply with the conditions outlined in the individual permit.
Fire Permits - Outside Forest Protection Areas
Should a resident be located outside the Forest Protection Area, they must contact their area rep.
- Larry can be reached at 780-836-5643 (north)
- Tim can be reached at 780-624-2993 (south)
Fireworks
Within the County of Northern Lights, a fireworks permit is required to conduct a fireworks display. Permits are issued free of charge, assuming no fire bans are in effect. The permits can be obtained from the Regional Fire Chief Tim Harris at 780.624.2993 from Township Road 880 South and from Fire Chief Larry Brolly at 780.836.3515 for areas north of Township Road 880.